


Catch Perfect

by TwilightKnight17



Series: Hours 'Verse [5]
Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, M/M, P5 spoilers in author's notes because the author is a big emotional blob, P5 spoilers in comments too like wow because none of us can stop, Time Skips, can't stop won't stop, not a novelization I swear, there's implied relationships but those two are the only ones actually in a relationship on-page
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-11-08 19:38:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 79,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11088537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightKnight17/pseuds/TwilightKnight17
Summary: Narukami Yu doesn't want friends. He just wants to make it through his year in Inaba without incident, so he can move on.Arisato Minato doesn't want to deal with the world ending again. He just wants to live his life, bizarre as his life happens to be.Unfortunately, the cards have other plans.





	1. April 11th, 2011

**Author's Note:**

> All right, here we go! I've been staring at this for three days now; might as well go for it.
> 
> The title is a poker term, referring to pulling the exact two cards needed to win a hand. ;)

The train rumbled down the tracks, mostly empty, and Narukami Yu stared out the window with a resigned, uncertain expression. His backpack, duffel, and suitcase were piled on the seat beside him, creating a tiny barrier between him and the rest of the train. More and more people had gotten off the closer that he had gotten to his destination, and now it was just him in this car.

Yasoinaba was in the middle of absolutely nowhere, and Yu forced down that little voice in his head that wanted to be resentful of his parents. It wasn’t their fault their careers were taking them abroad for a year. He understood why they wouldn’t have wanted to drag him off to another country, after dragging him all over Japan for his whole life. And he could also understand why they wouldn’t want him to stay by himself.

But he hadn’t seen his uncle since he was a little kid, and the idea of having to live with someone he barely knew, for a _year,_ was getting to him, just a bit. He supposedly had a cousin, too, but they’d never met, and he knew nothing about her.

All he could do was hope. Hope that things turned out okay. They had been fine, everywhere else he’d lived. Not good, but fine. Inaba could be fine, too.

The train ground to a halt at the station at last, and Yu gathered up his bags. He was the only one getting off, and the train platform was utterly deserted. No one had even come to meet him, and that nasty voice reared its head again. 

_Left here forgotten on a train platform. Wonderful._

Yu pointedly shoved it back down, heading down the steps towards the small parking lot. He had the address in his phone; he could get there if he had to. But before he could even pull the phone out, a car pulled into the lot, and a man and a little girl got out. Yu stared at them.

“Sorry, sorry!” the man said. “There was some traffic backup, so we were running a little late. You must be Yu! Geeze, last time I saw you, you were barely higher than my knee.” He held out a hand for Yu’s duffel. So this was Dojima Ryotaro. He seemed like a very frank person, and Yu passed him the bag.

“It’s all right. I wasn’t in a hurry.”

“Still. Didn’t want you to feel like we’d left you here. We’re supposed to be welcoming you; this is going to be home for a year.” Dojima nudged the little girl forward, and Yu looked down at her. “Say hello to your cousin, Nanako.”

“H-Hi…” Nanako hung on to her dad’s pants leg timidly. She couldn’t have been more than six, and Yu knelt down so he was on her level.

“Hi, Nanako-chan. I’m Yu,” he said, smiling, and she turned bright pink and hid her face.

“She’s a little shy,” Dojima said. “Come on, let’s get your bags in the car, and then we can get going.”

They loaded up the trunk, and Yu yielded shotgun to Nanako, who smiled at him and hopped into the front seat gratefully. Apparently the drive was only across town, but they decided to stop halfway there for gas, so that Dojima didn’t have to go out again later. Yu didn’t mind; it gave him the chance to keep looking around, and he leaned against the car, surveying the street with interest. There didn’t seem to be a lot of people out this time of day. Either that, or this town was smaller than he’d thought.

“Hey there!”

Yu turned to look, and there was a young woman with a ponytail smiling at him. She was wearing the gas station’s uniform, and was wielding a window-cleaner. “Scoot over a bit so I can get that side, would you?”

Yu hurriedly obeyed, stepping out of the way and letting her get on with it. She glanced back at him after a moment, curiously. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. Visiting?”

“Sort of,” Yu admitted. “Staying with my uncle for a year.”

“Ah, welcome to Inaba, then! You know, if you need a job, we could always use some more help here.” She flashed him a winning smile.

He shook his head. “Maybe. I just want to get settled first.”

“It must be strange, coming to live in a new place. It’s a pretty quiet town, except for the occasional weird rumor. But I’m sure you know how that goes.”

“I’m sure things will be fine. They usually are,” Yu said.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. “You sound like quite the optimist, Mr. Visitor.”

Yu looked at the ground, chuckling. “You learn to be, when you’ve had to move as much as me.”

“Hm…” The station attendant watched him for a moment, sizing him up, and then stuck out her hand. “Well! Here’s to a good year in Inaba, then, Narukami-kun!”

He accepted the hand, smiling back. “Thank you.”

At that point, Dojima returned with Nanako from the convenience store, and the young woman turned to look at him. “All ready to go, sir.”

“Thanks.” Once everyone had piled into the car, they headed out, but Yu felt his stomach lurch and grabbed for the seat in front of him to ground himself.

“Are you okay?” Nanako asked, worried, and Yu hesitated a moment before nodding.

“Sorry, I just...felt sick and light-headed all of a sudden.”

Dojima glanced at him in the rear-view mirror. “We’ll get you home and get some food in you. I bet you haven’t eaten much today, with all the travelling.”

Yu just nodded again, focusing on making sure he wasn’t going to suddenly throw up in his uncle’s car. That would be the _worst_ start to this arrangement. But thankfully, they made it home without any further incidents, and dinner was a mini-party with sushi and and several choices of desserts (apparently selected by Nanako). The only downside was that Dojima got a call partway through and had to leave, which from the look on Nanako’s face seemed to happen a lot. And that was how he learned that his uncle was a detective.

The room Dojima had cleared out for him was bigger than he expected, and he tried to make an effort to unpack a few of his things. But it had been a long day, and he ended up shoving most of it aside to be dealt with after school. Tomorrow was his first day at Yasogami High School. Hopefully, he could make it through without incident.

His last thought before falling asleep was, _I never told her my name…_

He wouldn’t remember it when he woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m using this opening stuff to try to get a solid grasp on Yu’s character, the way I did with Minato’s. The anime makes him quiet, and nice to the point that he gets taken advantage of, but also blunt and a massive dork. PQ makes him seem responsible and reliable, although his reaction to the wedding if he ends up as your destined partner also shows that he can get seriously flustered (and is a bit oblivious). And jesus, I’m pretty sure he canonically eats Nanako’s science project. XDDD
> 
> The only thing he doesn’t have is a solid backstory like Minato. I’m trying to give him something, while staying vague enough that it’s still canon-compliant. So it’s interesting. 
> 
> Everyone knows this story, I presume, so expect things to skip ahead in bits and pieces. We’re going to pull a Golden anime and hit the things that are different, and hopefully stay coherent along the way. I’m going to try to blow through all this opening stuff fairly quickly so we can get to what you’re all really here for, which is the crossover bits. XD


	2. April 14th, 2011

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hammering out the rest of the basics. And probably doing things early just to get them done. Whoops. XD

When midnight struck two days later, the TV in Yu’s room burst into static life.

He hadn’t actually been expecting it to do anything. But he supposed things had been insane enough already that a hallucinatory television show wasn’t much worse.

There had been a murder on his first day of school. A television announcer had been found dead hanging from a TV antenna, in a strange piece of irony. It had been all over the news for the past two days, and he and Nanako had watched the reports with mild trepidation. Dojima assured him that things like this weren’t normal and that Inaba was normally a quiet town, but it was unnerving nonetheless. Especially since the majority of the time, Dojima wasn’t home. Even in this short amount of time, it was making Yu concerned that his cousin was home alone so much.

Also, despite his mediocre efforts to not get too involved with anyone, he’d somehow ended up with friends.

He’d learned long ago that it wasn’t worth it to try to get close to people. It was a constant cycle: spend just enough time in a place to make friends, and then move again and have those friends forget him. He was a blip in their otherwise-complete lives, and eventually it was too much. If he didn’t grow close to anyone, he wouldn’t have to feel bad when he had to leave and stopped hearing from them.

But Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko had gone out of their way to make him feel welcome and include him, and he _liked_ them, even if they were a little weird in their own ways. And even though the rumor Chie had heard about the Midnight Channel sounded ridiculous, it had seemed harmless enough to try.

But here he was, at midnight, watching a blurry figure on TV and getting a headache the longer it went on. His forehead pulsed with the beat of his heart, with the back and forth of the static on screen, and there was a voice echoing in the increasing pounding feeling.

_**I am thou and thou art I and I am thou and thou art I and…** _

Yu stumbled forward towards the television, pressing one hand to his forehead. 

_**Now, open the door!** _

It was agony, and he reached out for something to brace himself on. His hand hit the TV screen, and suddenly sunk into it as if it was no more than water, leaving just a cool feeling against his skin. He gaped at where his hand disappeared, hardly able to believe what he was seeing, when suddenly he felt something grab his fingers and _pull._

The only thing that saved him was that the TV was simply too small. He managed to brace his shoulder on the edge and his foot on the dresser, using the leverage to yank his arm back out. He stumbled backwards and sank onto the couch in shock as the static ceased and the TV turned itself off. His eyes were wide, and he stared down at his hand as if to assure himself it was still there. In the aftermath, it didn’t seem real, and the TV sat there innocently with a blank screen. Yu fumbled for the remote and cut it on, confused, but all that he found when he flipped the channels were late-night infomercials and talk shows.

He forced himself to change for bed, then threw a blanket over the TV before settling in to try to sleep. He’d never been one to believe in monsters under the bed and things like that, but there had been _something_ in his TV. It had _grabbed him._

What was he supposed to tell the others in the morning?

*******

Unbeknownst to Yu, he had stuck his hand in a TV and woken up the Universe.

The Universe promptly almost shoved his boyfriend out of bed in an irrational panic that the world was green. It wasn’t. But now that he was awake he could tell that something had happened. An itch on the edge of his awareness. Out of habit he checked the Door, but everything was where it should be, and he frowned.

Glancing down at his boyfriend, whose only reaction to being shoved had been to whine loudly and fall back asleep, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something important was about to take shape.

_And so it begins...again. Let’s just hope it’s not as severe this time._

*******

“So, did any of you see anything?” Chie asked eagerly the next morning as they gathered in the classroom. Most people were still milling around, chatting, so no one paid them any mind as they clustered around Yu and Chie’s desks.

Yu sat there, expression blank as he tried to figure out what he was going to say. Yosuke, thankfully, chimed in first, perched atop Chie’s desk.

“I saw Konishi-senpai!” he said happily. “Isn’t the Midnight Channel supposed to show you your soulmate or something? This just proves that we were meant to be together!”

Yukiko and Chie, however, didn’t look convinced. “It was awfully blurry, but I’m pretty sure the person I saw was a girl, too,” Chie said. “That can’t be right.”

“I tried to stay up, but my mother needs my help today,” Yukiko said regretfully. “I wonder if my soulmate would have been Konishi-senpai, too.”

“It’s not a soulmate thing!” Chie insisted. She rounded on Yu, who was still staring into space, and asked, “What about you? Did you watch?”

He hesitated, then nodded. “It sort of looked like her. But I got a really bad headache, and then put my hand in the TV and something tried to pull me through.” Best to just be matter of fact about it, he thought.

All three stared at him. “You’re saying your TV tried to eat you?” Chie asked incredulously.

“Yes.”

Yukiko muffled a laugh. “Narukami-kun, you’re funny.”

“You wouldn’t fit through the TV, would you?” Chie said rationally. “I mean, unless it was one of those really big ones like at Junes. Maybe we should try that!”

“No, no, no, you’re not going into Junes and causing a scene!” Yosuke objected. “My dad would have a fit if we broke one of the TVs!”

Chie shoved him off of her desk. “Oh, come on, Hanamura! We’re not going to break it.” She kicked her feet, pointing at Yu. “We’re just going to get him to touch it.”

“We are?” Yu asked, blinking. She clearly didn’t believe anything would happen, but what if it _did?_ Junes wasn’t exactly private. What if whatever had grabbed him tried to come _out_ of the TV? Junes probably had some kind of weapons, since it apparently had everything else, but that wasn’t the point.

“You’ll have to tell me how it goes,” Yukiko said. “I’ll be busy most of the afternoon, but I’ll be around this evening.”

“Sure thing!” Chie said, and that seemed to settle it. 

School passed relatively uneventfully, and then Yu found himself on the second floor of Junes, staring at a sixty-inch TV and wondering where anyone would even put a TV that big in the first place. Yosuke and Chie had started bickering, and he turned to look at them, wondering what the problem was now that they’d come all the way here.

“It just seems kind of silly, now that I’m actually looking at the TV,” Chie admitted sheepishly. “I wish I could afford one of these, though. Wow!”

“Are you joking? This was your idea!” Yosuke complained.

Yu turned back to the TV, lifting a hand and pressing it carefully to the screen. The glass rippled like water, and once again his hand sunk into it with no resistance. It was different, seeing it during the day under fluorescent lights, knowing there were probably other people just a few aisles over. It made it real, confirmed it wasn’t some strange midnight dream, and when nothing grabbed him he took a step closer, letting his arm sink in almost to his elbow.

Yosuke caught a glimpse of him over Chie’s shoulder and yelped, and she turned to look and managed to bite back a scream. “His hand is in the TV!”

“I see that! What the hell, Narukami, how are you doing that?”

Yu shrugged. “I don’t know. I just am.” He moved his arm, watching the glass shift like the surface of a pond. “I think I could go farther in.”

“Why would you do that? You said something grabbed you before, right?” Yosuke asked, flailing.

“Narukami-kun, don’t!” Chie grabbed at his arm, trying to stop him, and Yosuke grabbed her by the shoulders.

“Wait, Satonaka--!”

Yu felt the exact moment that he’d leaned too far. His foot slipped as gravity took over, and he tumbled into the TV, dragging Chie and Yosuke behind him. It was a weird sensation, not quite falling and not quite flying, and they landed hard in an open yellow area with scaffolding and lights, like a television studio. He sat up, rubbing his head, and looked around.

“There’s...a whole world in here,” he said wonderingly.

“Are we really inside the TV?” Chie got to her feet, brushing herself off, and looked up. There was no indication of where they had fallen from, just a floating layer of fog drifting all around, making things fuzzy and indistinct. “We should look for a way out.”

Yu nodded, getting up as well and helping Yosuke up. There was only one apparent path, and they made their way down it cautiously. There didn’t seem to be anything alive in this world, but it was unfamiliar territory. It didn’t hurt to be careful.

At the end of the path was some sort of apartment building, and the only door unlocked lead to an empty room. It looked like it had been destroyed; there was broken furniture, scratched floors, dented walls… And in the middle of the room, a noose hanging from the ceiling.

“W-What the hell…” Yosuke said shakily. “What kind of weird place is this?”

Chie glanced at a poster on the wall. The middle of it had been torn away, as if in a fit of rage, but part of it was still visible. “Isn’t that Yamano-san? The woman that got murdered?”

Yu hadn’t been particularly familiar with her, but he recognized the face from the news reports on the murder. “Something isn’t right here. Everything feels…” He trailed off, staring at the indistinct shadowy figure that he’d suddenly spotted silhouetted against the window. It was just standing there, not looking at them, though it was clearly the shape of a man. Yu inched towards it, reaching as if to put a hand on it’s shoulder, but before he could, it vanished.

“C-Can we go now?” Chie asked, looking clearly scared. “If there’s ghosts here I am absolutely not sticking around!”

Yu frowned at where the figure had been, but allowed Chie to grab his arm and drag him towards the door. Everyone came to a screeching halt, though when they realized the door was blocked by some kind of mascot costume that looked like a bear. Yosuke tentatively reached out to touch it, and the bear swatted at him.

“Who are you?! This is a beary unsafe place!” the bear said, and Chie and Yosuke shrieked.

“It’s talking!!”

“Of course I’m talking!” The bear stared at them worriedly. “Did you fall in here?”

“We came in ourselves,” Yu said, and Yosuke smacked his shoulder.

“Don’t talk to it!”

The bear continued to stare. “You came in by yourselves? ...Are you the ones who’ve been pushing people in here?!” it demanded suddenly, and all of them took a step back.

“N-No, we were just looking around, but we don’t know how to get back out.” Chie held her hands up in an attempt to look nonthreatening.

The bear looked suspicious, but shuffled around and pulled out three pairs of glasses. “Take these and follow me. It’s beary hard to see through the fog without them. I’ll show you the way out.” It waddled out the door after Yu took the glasses, and what could they do but follow? Putting on the glasses revealed clear air, as if the fog had simply ceased existing, and it was easy to follow the bear back the way they had come towards the entrance. But there was a strange, slobbery sound, and as they rounded a corner of the apartments, what looked like spheres with lips and long tongues floated up beyond the railing.

“What is _that?!_ ” Chie yelled.

“Hableries!” the bear yelled back. “Run!”

So they ran, pursued by an increasing flood of the monsters as they struggled not to trip. And Yu’s headache had returned, the rhythmic pounding syncing with the frantic beating of his heart and making his vision blur even with the glasses. By the time they reached the open area where they’d arrived, his head felt like it would burst, and they were surrounded by drooling, looming monsters.

Yosuke had grabbed a loose board from one of the trash heaps near the apartment, and he tried to swing at one of the things that was getting too close. But the thing dodged and licked him with its massive tongue, and Yosuke fell back, looking dazed. The bear was covering his face, crying about how ‘shadows’ were going to get them, and Yu finally felt something snap in him.

_**I am thou. Thou art I. From the sea of thy soul I come. You, who have opened the door…** _

When he opened his eyes, there was a tarot card hovering in front of him, and without hesitation he reached out and grabbed it, crushing it in shaking fingers. There was a strange feeling, like glass shattering in his mind, and a tall figure surged to life behind him. He ignored the others and their cries of surprise, calling the figure by name and gesturing to the monsters. Shadows?

_“Izanagi!”_

The figure unleashed a storm of lightning, wiping out the cloud of shadows with brutal efficiency, and then dissolved into light. Yu wobbled on his feet, incredulous, and the bear cheered.

“That was amazing!” he cried. “I can’t believe you can fight like that!”

“How did I…?” But Yu shook his head. This was far, far too much for not even twenty-four hours. He looked at Yosuke and Chie, who were just staring at him in disbelief, and sighed. “Can you just show us a way out, uh… What’s your name?”

“You can call me Teddie!” Teddie did some sort of enthusiastic waving around, and a large TV materialized in the area, filled with static. “There you go! I’m glad I found you before you got too lost.”

“Thanks.” Yu grabbed the other two, heading for the TV. “It was nice to meet you.” And with that, he dragged them through the TV, which spit all three of them onto the floor of the aisle at Junes.

They took a few minutes to regroup silently, making their way a few aisles over to where the demo massage chairs were set up. When everyone had had a chance to breathe, Yosuke at last looked over at Yu and asked flatly, “That happened, right?”

“I think so,” Yu said, sounding equally flat, like he couldn’t quite believe it himself. He sank into one of the massage chairs, staring at his hands. They had been inside the TV. He’d summoned some sort of warrior. There had been a talking mascot bear.

And something was very wrong in Inaba.

“Let’s...let’s go home and process, and talk about this tomorrow,” Chie said eventually. “This was...a lot. We can tell Yukiko what happened, too.”

It was agreed that that seemed like the best plan, and they parted ways with the promise to get to school early so they could talk things over. Yu walked home slowly, as if in a fog.This wasn’t what he’d been expecting when he’d arrived, but it seemed like despite first impressions, living in Inaba was going to be an adventure after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to cut this before the next morning started, but I realized abruptly that I’m going to have to get comfortable writing the Investigation Team very quickly if I do this the way I’m thinking. So yeah. Think of this chapter as 95% practice with Chie and Yosuke, 5% hinting at crossover stuff. Fun fun fun. The basics are pretty much established now, so next chapter we’ll see a different perspective. XD
> 
> On another note, I really hope I make it to DAN eventually, because Youtube is a goldmine of really excellent MMD videos and they’re giving me ideas.


	3. April 17th, 2011

When Kirijo Mitsuru answered the knock at the apartment door, she was a bit surprised to find her former field leader on the other side, hands lazily in his pockets as usual. She’d been enjoying a quiet afternoon on the couch for once, but him turning up unannounced meant that something must be going on.

“Arisato,” she greeted. “You’re not usually one to show up without calling ahead. Where’s your other half?”

“Back in Iwatodai, keeping an eye on things. I’ve had a weird feeling, Mitsuru-senpai.” He stepped inside, making his way over to the couch and sitting down across from her. “Nothing’s happened yet, but it’s just _there._ ”

Mitsuru poured him some lemonade from the pitcher she’d had out, frowning. “Not something with the Seal, I hope.”

“No, it’s something else. Something is happening,” he said, looking frustrated with how vague he had to be. “I’ve woken up at midnight three nights in a row now, and it’s getting annoying.”

“Well, we have knocked out a few small resurgences of shadows here and there. This could be something similar,” Mitsuru theorized. “I’ll let the others know to keep an eye out for anything unusual, but I’m not sure there’s much we can do until something more concrete happens.”

Minato sighed into his drink. “It doesn’t feel normal. I wish I could pinpoint it better.” The feeling hovered just out of reach, like a word on the tip of his tongue or a tune half-remembered. It was more irritating than anything, but Ryoji had told him not to stress over it for the time being, and he was trying.

Mitsuru smiled at him. “I trust that you’ll figure it out. Though I am flattered that you rode all the way out here to let me know.”

“I haven’t been to visit in a while. And it didn’t take long at all.” He smiled wryly. “There’s nothing that doesn’t allow me to open a Velvet Room door in Tokyo.”

That earned him a surprised look, and Mitsuru took a sip of her own lemonade, clearly revising her knowledge of what he was capable of. “So you can essentially travel wherever you want, provided a door can be opened. Is there anything else I should know about?”

His smile got bigger, and she knew that he only got that look on his face when he was exceptionally pleased with something. But what she wasn’t expecting was for him to gesture at the coffee table and mumble barely-audibly, _"Bufu.”_

The pitcher of lemonade froze solid, and Mitsuru’s eyes went wide. “Arisato, how did you--?” They couldn’t usually use their personas unless shadows were in the vicinity, or they were in the specially-built training rooms that mimicked the conditions of the Dark Hour. But he hadn’t even summoned a persona. He’d simply done the spell, in the middle of her apartment, in the middle of the day. And wasn’t his elemental affinity fire?

As if reading her mind, he said, “I didn’t think you’d appreciate me setting a plant on fire. I can do all six basic elemental spells, though.” He shook his head regretfully. “Megido gives me a headache and doesn’t cast right. Not that megido has any practical use. And then there’s this.” He glanced over at a clear space on the floor. “Jack Frost.”

The little snowman-type persona appeared, and Mitsuru stared at him, unable to believe what she was seeing. “You summoned a persona. In normal space. Without an evoker.”

“I don’t need one anymore. Elizabeth says it’s part of my arcana now, and that I’ll only get stronger from here,” Minato explained, waving at Jack Frost and allowing him to burst back into light. “Ryoji doesn’t use it either, but he still needs the hand gesture. Although, now that I think about it, that’s all he’s ever used. He never had an evoker.”

“Hand gesture?” Mitsuru asked, and Minato lifted a hand and lazily mimed shooting himself in the head. “Ah. I see.”

“It’s a strange feeling, not having the evoker, but it’s convenient.” Minato shrugged, seemingly completely unfazed by his new status as something like a sorcerer. But then again, he’d always been relatively level when it came to new things, so it was par for the course at this point.

Mitsuru stared at the frozen pitcher of lemonade and took a deep breath. “Is this something you wish to keep to yourself for now?”

Minato shrugged. “Not necessarily. I’m not trying to keep it secret, but I didn’t want to make some big announcement either.”

“I understand. I will say nothing to anyone until you do.” She raised a pointed eyebrow, and Minato chuckled.

“Casting agi on it would just break the glass,” he said. There was something in his tone that suggested he’d tried it. “Junpei’s going to be jealous.”

“Most likely.” Mitsuru laughed quietly. “It’s incredible, really. I knew there was something about you, because you were never fazed by the Dark Hour, but I never expected you to reach the point of being some kind of god.”

Minato shook his head sharply. “I’m not even close to that. Don’t say that.” Responsibility for the Great Seal was enough; godhood even in a loose sense would be too much. “Being the Universe makes me stronger, not omnipotent.”

Mitsuru nodded. “My apologies.” She contemplated the pitcher of lemonade for a moment, then got up to set it on the kitchen counter so it could thaw. “So, what are you going to do now?”

“Probably ask the attendants what’s going on. If Elizabeth doesn’t know, Margaret will, I’m sure. She’s usually pretty on top of things. If she can at least give me a location, I can check it out for myself.”

“Don’t go alone.”

He chuckled. “I won’t. You really think Ryoji would let me? Speaking of which…”

Mitsuru shook her head. These boys, honestly. “You should be getting home. Goodness knows what Mochizuki is getting up to without you.” But she was smiling, and added, “It was good to see you. It’s good to hear that everything is going well at home.”

“Tatsumi Port Island is still home?” he teased.

But her response was a simple, “Yes.”

It caught Minato a bit by surprise, as he’d figured that she would be considering her new Tokyo apartment home, but it was a good feeling to know that even though she’d moved away, her heart was still back with the remaining members of S.E.E.S.. “Junpei’s been coaching little league in his free time from university. We should crash one of his games some time.”

“That sounds like fun.” Mitsuru got the door for him, waving as he stepped into the hallway. “Safe trip, Arisato. Give Mochizuki my best.”

“I will.”

Mitsuru watched him go, still smiling. Only Arisato Minato could be so calm about being able to do magic whenever he wanted. It was certainly something she’d never considered when she’d first started working with personas. But she trusted him implicitly; if he said something strange was happening, she believed he would figure it out and let them all know what was going on. He hadn’t been their field leader for nothing.

And after all, they had prevented the Fall. Nothing could possibly be worse than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably spoiling you guys with a chapter a day, but working the desk at work is slow, so... Just don't get too used to it, I suppose, even if I am one ahead.
> 
> Mitsuru still calls them by their family names out of habit, not out of any sense of formality or distance. Same with him calling her ‘senpai’.
> 
> (Minato could probably do megido with a little more practice, but Elizabeth would rather focus on the elementals for now. She’s not in any hurry for him to reach megidolaon. She likes having at least one advantage. XD)


	4. April 18th, 2011

Life continued to get stranger and stranger.

Yukiko, after appearing on the Midnight Channel, had vanished, thrown into the TV as Teddie had revealed that Yamano Mayumi and Saki Konishi had been. They’d tried to go after her, but the television world had manifested into some sort of warped castle, and even though Chie had unlocked what he now knew was called a persona, they had nearly been overwhelmed by shadows and had to retreat.

Yu had been coping pretty well, but between Yukiko going missing and the fact that he’d received a weird blue key in a dream, which led to a weird blue room that was also a limo, filled with weird blue people (and Marie, who wasn’t weird so much as sarcastic and antagonistic and amnesiatic), things were getting a touch overwhelming. So today he was at the Shiroku store in the shopping district, hoping to pick up some soda and spend the evening with Nanako. He’d promised they could spend time together while her dad was busy with the murder case. But in the process of grabbing the soda, he’d spotted a box of beads and a stack of weird jars that definitely hadn’t been there last time he’d been in. So he grabbed a handful of beads and took them to the counter with him, showing them to the clerk as he rang up the soda. Nanako might think they were pretty, at least.

“So are you guys starting to sell craft supplies now?” It was the only thing he could reason for why there would be loose beads for sale, but the clerk shook his head.

“Those will revive you if you get knocked out in battle.”

Yu blinked. “...what?”

The clerk smiled. “If someone gets knocked out in battle, you can use a bead on them, and it will revive them.” There was a blank look in his eyes, and Yu handed over money for his sodas and picked up the bottles.

“Thanks. Um, I’ll go put them back.” He beat a hasty retreat back to the aisle, tipping the beads back into their box. 

There was another employee there, wearing an apron and straightening the shelves, and he waved at Yu. “Hey! Finding everything okay?”

Yu nodded. “The cashier was acting weird about these beads. Now I don’t want to ask about the jars.”

“Oh, those? It’s some concoction our friend Theodore made. It’s called a Goho-M, and it’ll get you out of a dungeon if you’re in a pinch. I’m pretty sure Margaret named it,” the employee said, rolling his eyes. “I’m also fairly sure it’s a bootstrap paradox. Theodore says he learned to make them by examining one Margaret had. But Margaret supposedly got that one from Theodore. So…”

Yu stared at him like he’d grown two heads. “You...know Margaret?” No one else could see the Velvet Room door; he was sure of it. But this guy was talking like it was just common knowledge, and the guy at the counter had explained the beads as if he _knew_.

“Yep.” The employee winked. “When stuff like this happens, they make sure at least one store has stuff you’ll need. Regular food’s helpful, but not as good as some other things when you’re dealing with shadows.” He gestured at the guy working the register. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying. It’s all following a script in his subconscious. He won’t know a thing about any of these items if you’re not asking him directly.”

Yu continued to stare. This guy couldn’t be from the Velvet Room. He had dark hair and bright blue eyes, not pale hair and gold eyes. But there was still something about him that felt off, and Yu took a step back without realizing he was doing it. “Who...are you?”

“Just someone helping out. Don’t worry about me. I won’t be working here after today.” The blue-eyed employee grinned. “I was just here to stock the new items. It was nice to meet you, though!”

“...likewise,” Yu said tentatively.

“I’ll let you head on. You look busy.” He turned back to the shelf he’d been straightening, and Yu fled the store. Was this how things were going to be from now on? Just one weird day after another? He certainly hoped not. They would get Yukiko back, and when she didn’t die, this would all be over. It had to be.

When he got home, Nanako had set up the table with snacks and gotten the Phoenix Rangers Featherman R DVDs ready. He set the drinks down, looking everything over. “Are you ready to start?”

Nanako nodded. “I can’t believe you’ve never watched Featherman! It’s awesome! My favorite one is the pink one.” She held up the first case. “This is an old series, but there’s going to be a new one next year!”

Yu had seen possibly one episode a long time ago, but he’d promised to spend time with Nanako and he needed a break from whatever bizarre life he was currently living. So, superhero show marathon with his cousin it was. And she was so excited to show him, he couldn’t help but be excited as well. “I wonder which one will be my favorite.”

“Hmm…” Nanako looked him over critically. “Feather Hawk! That’s the red one. He’s the leader.”

“Huh. We’ll have to see.” He watched her put the first DVD in, smiling. This was nice. He didn’t have any siblings, and his parents were usually busy, so just getting to spend time with Nanako was different in the best possible way. It was hard to believe he hadn’t even been here two weeks. So much had happened, it seemed like it had been so much longer.

Hopefully the rest of his stay would feel just as long. He was realizing he liked it here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It really doesn’t make sense that normal stores in town sell things used specifically for dungeon stuff. Food is one thing, medicine is one thing, but dungeon teleports and revival beads are a whole 'nother category. So, boom, the Velvet Room is responsible. Or in this case, someone playing errand-boy for the Velvet Room. :P
> 
> Nanako’s going to blow a gasket a year from now when one of Big Bro’s friends turns out to be Feather Pink. XDDDD


	5. April 19th, 2011

They had been planning to head right back into Yukiko’s castle after school, but Yu had gotten a phone call from Margaret at lunchtime asking him to meet her in the Velvet Room when school ended, so the original plan was temporarily put on hold in favor of Yu disappearing through the blue door that had appeared in the ‘lobby’ area of the television world. Yu wasn’t positive how they could have a door inside the TV, nor was he sure how Margaret had gotten his phone number, but he went anyway.

Margaret was sitting at the end with the compendium, as usual, but Igor was absent, and there was also a young man that he’d never seen before stretched out on the long seat, seemingly asleep with headphones over his ears. He was wearing a blue jacket almost the same shade as Margaret’s dress, and had blue hair as well.

He looked from Margaret to the other young man, then back, curious, but she merely shook her head. “Do not mind him. He is simply visiting today.” She patted the seat beside her, indicating that he should sit there, and he did so nervously, half-expecting Igor to appear and smite him for daring to sit in his spot. There was the faintest hum of music from the other boy’s headphones, barely audible over the usual choir tune that filled the Velvet Room.

“Marie isn’t here today?” he asked, feeling slightly awkward.

“She went for a walk around Inaba,” Margaret replied. “She said she was looking for inspiration.”

“Ah.” Well, she wouldn’t be back for a while, and it was up to the whims of fate what her mood would be when she did finally return. Yu took another surreptitious glance at the napping interloper and then asked, “What’s happening?”

Margaret regarded him calmly, as if trying to read something in his posture or expression, then said, “You did not venture into the dungeon yesterday.”

“No, we…” He had a sudden urge to defend himself, and said quickly, “Chie was recovering from awakening her persona, and I promised my cousin that we could hang out…” Was that really a good excuse, though? Yukiko was trapped, Yukiko could be _dying_. He and Yosuke could have gone, could have tried to push forward through the corridors of shadows, could have tried to get a little farther before they lost Yukiko forever and she ended up upside down on a pole, too...

But Margaret saw his suddenly frantic expression and soothed, “I am not judging you. No one can fight for days on end. Things must be a balance, or they will collapse upon themselves.”

Yu took a deep breath, trying to calm his frayed nerves. “We’re trying, but we’re not strong enough yet.”

“You will get there,” Margaret assured him. “But strength is not only found through fighting.” She opened the compendium, showing him the pages for Yosuke and Chie. “Two is the smallest number of people it takes to create a universe, but the bonds you forge with others are what build your world, and increase the strength of the Wild Card. Connecting with others is a truly valuable experience.”

“I don’t...need anyone else,” Yu said, looking away from her. “I wasn’t even expecting Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko, but I don’t need any more. I don’t _want_ to need anyone else.” Helping people out was one thing, but that’s not what Margaret meant and he knew it.

Margaret smiled. “You are afraid. But you needn’t be. True bonds cannot be broken, my dear guest, but that is something that you must learn for yourself.”

It felt remarkably like he was being scolded, and he knew Margaret meant well, but he didn’t know how to respond. So instead, he said, “I met someone yesterday, in the shopping district. He knew about the Velvet Room, and said he was giving the shop new items.”

“Ah, yes. We do try to make your journey a bit easier, even if we cannot interfere directly. Providing you the means to survive does not impede you from forging your own path,” Margaret said, and Yu took that to mean that no one from the Velvet Room was going to burst in to save them if things went south in a dungeon.

“But who was he? He’s not...someone from here, is he? He didn’t have the same feeling as you and Igor.” They all felt weird, to some degree. Igor clearly wasn’t human, and Margaret, however human she looked, still seemed like something _more_. But that guy...something was off about him too, even if Yu couldn’t place it.

Margaret closed the compendium, resting her hands on the cover. “I can assure you that he is a friend,” she said, meeting Yu’s eyes. “He is an existence somewhere between human and those of us who reside in the Velvet Room, though more human than not. You needn’t worry about him.”

Yu couldn’t help but still look skeptical, and his gaze darted back to the third occupant of the room once again. The sleeper hadn’t stirred, but just his presence, in this space that he’d come to associate specifically with Margaret and Igor, was unnerving. “If you say so.”

“You are so defensive,” Margaret said gently. “But I have faith that you will overcome the challenges before you.” She reached out, setting her hand over his. “I’ve kept you too long. Go on, storm the castle and rescue your friend. And come back if you need anything. You aren’t alone, Yu.”

The plain use of his name caught him by surprise, and for a moment his expression was completely honest. It was a mixture of gratitude and relief, but only for a moment, and then he nodded seriously. “I’ll be careful.”

“I know you will.” Margaret watched him go, then sighed, setting the compendium on the seat beside her.

Minato reached up and pulled his headphones off, sitting up and stretching. “He seems a little awkward.”

Margaret raised an eyebrow. “You are one to talk. I seem to recall that you started your year alone and friendless as well. You also chose to pretend to sleep rather than introducing yourself, I notice.”

“I wanted to get an idea of what he’s like, first,” Minato said, raising an eyebrow. “And I’m pretty sure our circumstances are very different, unless he’s harboring the living embodiment of a concept too. Is he Life or something?”

“He is not, but you’re more alike than you think,” Margaret teased. “Although, I think he’s a bit more of a natural leader than you.”

“Mitsuru-senpai just _made_ me field leader. I didn’t ask for it.”

Margaret just laughed. “Make sure you give Theodore’s jacket back before you leave. I know you wanted to blend in, but really. It won’t work unless you bleach your hair.”

“In your dreams, Margaret.” Minato shrugged the jacket off and threw it at her playfully. This new Wild Card was going to be interesting. The Velvet Room might not be able to interfere, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t. It was just a matter now of finding the right excuse.

After all, just bumping into him on the street would be kind of cliche.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Margaret spends her free time making bets with Theo and Liz on who cracks and introduces themselves to Yu first. Currently the odds are favoring Ryoji. XDDD
> 
> (Me@Me: Li, stop updating at 1am, what's wrong with you.)
> 
> The game gives you like 2 weeks to finish each dungeon, but the idea of them fooling around doing other stuff while their friend is trapped just seems weird to me. I can imagine that time not spent towards saving the victim would cause them some kind of guilt.


	6. April 25th, 2011

There was just one floor left of Yukiko’s castle. Yu wasn’t sure how he knew, but he _knew,_ and they were determined to reach the top and get to her, tonight if they could manage it. But the floor before it had proven to be full of treasures, and the three of them had agreed to salvage what they could. There were some really powerful medicines in a few of the chests, and everything would be helpful at this point.

“Do you think Daidara could use this?” Chie asked, holding up a scrap of _something_ she’d found in another chest. The owner of the metalworks had agreed to make weapons for them, in some weird combination of Velvet Room subconscious programming and believing they were cosplaying. Yu wasn’t going to complain; it was a lot better than Yosuke’s father’s golf clubs.

“Maybe. He said bring him anything.” Yosuke shrugged, and Chie shoved the scrap into her backpack.

“There’s another chest over there!” She pointed, heading towards it excitedly. “How many is this?”

Yu tried to think. “At least twenty? This floor is being surprisingly generous.”

“If this were a video game, that would mean the boss fight is coming up,” Yosuke laughed. “I bet Yukiko’s shadow is up there; that counts as a boss, right?”

“Don’t jinx us, damn it!” Chie flipped the chest open, retrieving another vial of medicine. “Oh, good, this will--” But she stopped, as the sound of rattling chains filled the halls. “Guys, uh...what’s that?”

Yu looked around. “I don’t know. Teddie?” he called. They’d left Teddie back by another cluster of chests while they scouted ahead to clear out any smaller shadows. The bear hurried into view, looking panicked.

“We’re in trouble!” he cried, and the three persona-users looked frightened.

“Why are we in trouble? Teddie, what’s that noise?”

But before Teddie could answer, the rattling increased in volume, and a massive shadow rounded the corner. It was over twice as tall as Yu, wrapped in dragging chains with a bloodied cloth mask over its face. One eye glowed brightly through a hole, and it brandished two shotguns menacingly.

“That’s the Reaper!” Teddie screamed. “We have to get to the stairs! It can’t follow us downstairs!”

The team took off running, and the Reaper roared and chased after them, moving surprisingly fast for something of its size. Yu glanced over his shoulder, and as they approached an intersection, yelled, “Split up and get to the stairs! It can’t chase all of us!”

“Got it, partner!” Yosuke yelled back, and when they hit the intersection he and Teddie veered right, Chie kept going straight, and Yu went left. They got a few moments reprieve as the Reaper paused to look at each group, but then it roared again and turned after Yu.

_Okay, maybe this wasn’t the greatest idea._ If it was hunting down the one it saw as the straggler, he was toast, but at least the other three would make it, so long as they didn’t get lost.

He skidded around another corner, but lost his footing and hit the ground hard. The Reaper caught up almost immediately, and Yu frantically summoned Izanagi. Zionga was on his lips, but before he could get the spell off, the giant shadow batted his persona away as if it was nothing. Izanagi exploded into points of light, and Yu curled in on himself, flinching from the blow. As the giant shadow brought its guns to bear on him, he tried to at least get to his feet and face his enemy properly.

But before the shadow could fire, a skinny figure stepped forward between them, gesturing sharply and saying something Yu couldn’t hear. A barrier surrounded them like curtains of pale light, and the Reaper’s bullets bounced off harmlessly, making it snarl with rage.

“You stayed on this floor too long, I think,” a voice from behind Yu said, and suddenly there was another young man helping him to his feet.

Yu stared at him, trying to focus through the adrenaline, and blurted, “You were in the Velvet Room!”

The blue-haired boy smiled. “I was. Not important right now, though. I’m guessing you didn’t buy any goho-ms?”

Yu shook his head, and the boy sighed. “All right.” He glanced at his companion. “Will you be all right?”

“Yeah. I don’t think he’s stupid enough to tangle with me,” the other replied, and there was something familiar about his voice, but Yu couldn’t place him through the glow of the shimmering barrier. “Go get them out of here. Moonless gown will hold long enough for you to get away.”

“Got it. Don’t die.”

“I love you too, dearest. Now go!”

The blue-haired boy grabbed Yu’s wrist and towed him down the hall, away from the skinny guy and the monstrous shadow. When Yu chanced a look back, he saw the Reaper bowing its head, and the other boy reaching up to it, but then he was forced to look where he was going as they started darting around corners.

“Don’t be so greedy next time,” his rescuer said bluntly, and Yu huffed.

“How were we supposed to know something like that would show up?”

“It’s never safe to linger in a place like this. You’ve learned the hard way, I guess.” They came to a stop at another corner, where they could hear Teddie, Chie, and Yosuke just down the stairs, and the boy handed Yu one of those mysterious jars. “Take this and get you and your friends out. Just open the jar and make sure everyone is close enough. I’m going back for my idiot.”

Yu hesitated. “Wait, who are you two? What are you doing here?”

The boy stuck his hands in his pockets. “...we’ll meet you at the shrine in half an hour. How does that sound? Just you, though. I don’t think I’m ready to meet your friends quite yet.”

That didn’t actually answer either question, but Yu nodded. He’d interrogate them later. For now, they really did need to get out of here. He examined the jar, the ‘goho-m’, for a moment, then muttered a thank-you and hurried towards his friends. This time, he didn’t look back.

“Sensei!” Teddie cried when he saw him. “We were starting to get worried that that thing got you!”

“It was a close call,” Yu said truthfully. He showed them the jar. “I...found this in a chest we’d missed. I think it’ll get us out of here.”

“What, really?” Yosuke asked. “How?”

Yu opened the jar, and a flood of white smoke billowed out, covering them and blocking all ability to see their surroundings. There was a sudden motion, like when an elevator comes to a stop, and then the smoke began to clear. To their astonishment, they were back in the lobby of the television world, just beside the exit.

“That’s amazing!” Chie gasped.

“We’re lucky you found that, partner. I hope there’s more somewhere,” Yosuke added. “That’ll come in handy.”

“I’m sure we’ll find some. I think that’s enough for tonight, though,” Yu said. “Tomorrow, we can charge right through that floor and onto the next, and we’ll be able to save Yukiko.”

“I’ll keep my nose on the lookout for anything weird until then!” Teddie declared, and Yu nodded.

“Thanks, Teddie. Come on, guys, let’s go get some rest.”

They left the TV, tumbling into the mostly-empty Junes, and bid each other goodnight. The twilight air made everything feel fragile and vaguely unreal, and Yu made his way to the shrine warily. He didn’t know these two, and couldn’t really say he trusted them, but they had saved his life, so he could at least hear them out.

When he arrived at the shrine, he found the blue-haired boy watching his friend, who was trying to coax the fox that lived behind the altar close enough to touch. Yu, too, stood there and watched for a minute, as the other boy tried using his scarf as bait. He finally realized, seeing the silly grin on his face, who he was, and he said, “You were the one in the shop. Stocking the new items.”

The guy looked up, directing his grin at Yu instead. “Yep, that’s me! Not that you bought any. Might have helped when the Reaper showed up.”

“I forgot,” Yu said, coming over to sit on the steps across from the blue-haired boy. “Now, I’m here. So who are you?”

“Arisato Minato,” the blue-haired boy said, straight to the point. “This is Mochizuki Ryoji.”

Yu looked between them. Ryoji had left the fox alone in favor of scooting back over beside Minato, and poked him in the shoulder. “Oh, come on. That’s not what he’s asking.”

“I know.” Minato yawned, leaning against him. “Narukami Yu, what do you want to know?”

A thousand questions sprang to mind, but the thing Yu actually voiced wasn’t a question so much as an observation. “You were inside the TV.”

Minato smiled. “We were. That’s because we’re persona-users like you. Although I have to admit that jumping into electronics is a new experience.” Ryoji elbowed him, and he elbowed back before elaborating, “Do you remember the end of January, a year ago? Your potential has awoken; you should be able to recall now.”

“January…?” Yu considered it. He and his parents had been in Kyoto, for an actual vacation, not a business trip. He’d woken up one night with a really terrible nightmare. But as he thought about it, the blurry memories seemed to resolve themselves, and he could see it. “There was an eye in the sky. A huge eye that came out of the moon and turned the world green.”

“That’s the one. That eye in the moon was a being called Nyx,” Minato said. “The Mother of Shadows. My friends and I fought her and drove her back, to prevent the world ending in an event called the Fall.” He glanced at Ryoji, as if considering what to say next, and then continued, “We came here because I could tell something was happening, and after talking to Margaret, we wanted to meet the newest Wild Card.”

Yu realized what he was getting at immediately. “That explains a few things. You’re Wild Cards, too?”

“I’m a bit of a grey area,” Ryoji said brightly, slinging an arm around Minato. “I can only use one persona, but I’ve sort of got two arcana, so…”

“He’s Death and Fortune,” Minato said. “Not quite a Wild Card, but not the average, either. It’s not really important, but he is different from you, and from me.”

Something about that sounded off, and Yu frowned. “What are you, then? Are you different from me, too, even though we’re both Wild Cards?”

There was definite hesitation before Minato answered that time, and when he did, he said only, “That would be a very long story, and it’s not important right now.”

It wasn’t a satisfactory answer, but Yu didn’t allow himself to respond sarcastically. “Are you here to help, then?”

“Margaret won’t allow us to interfere but so much, but we’ll try to help if we can. At the very least, we can offer advice. What do you think?” Minato held out a hand.

Yu took Minato’s offered hand, smiling tentatively. “Any advice would be greatly appreciated.” Minato might be evasive, at least when it came to certain topics, but he seemed less cryptic than Margaret and Igor had a tendency to be, and it would be interesting to be able to pick the brains of two persona-users who were veterans. Who had apparently _saved the world._ Yu couldn’t imagine that kind of responsibility. He just wanted to save his friend, and maybe figure out who the murderer was along the way. The whole world was an overwhelming thought.

But now Minato was looking at him oddly, gaze flicking from his face to their joined hands, and Ryoji was staring, too. The scarf-clad boy was looking back and forth between them, as if he couldn’t figure out what he was seeing. Yu was about to ask him what was wrong, when Minato said abruptly, “I remember! We were destined partners.”

“Wha-- Destined partners?!” Yu and Ryoji blurted at the same time. Yu went on to ask loudly, “What does _that_ mean?” He dropped Minato’s hand, scooting away.

Minato shrugged. “Don’t know. I just feel like I’ve met you before, and we were destined partners.” He looked at Ryoji, who seemed baffled and mildly offended, and sighed, “Stop making that face. Even if it’s true, it was in the past.” He pecked Ryoji on the cheek, and Yu stared blankly.

“So you two are…?”

Both of them turned bright eyes on him. “Is that a problem?”

Yu shook his head quickly. “No. Just adding to what I know about you. It isn’t much, after all.”

Minato got to his feet. “You’re very curious for someone who doesn’t want friends,” he said, an undercurrent of amusement in his voice, and Yu’s mouth fell open.

“You weren’t asleep!”

Minato didn’t deny it, just stood there with a tiny smile on his face as Ryoji dissolved into giggles behind him. Yu pushed himself to his feet as well, deciding he was ready to go home. This was a bit much for one day, although that was what he’d been saying practically every day this week. But when he looked at Minato again, the other boy was pouting, and Yu raised a puzzled eyebrow. “What?”

“I didn’t realize you were a giant,” Minato said, and there was absolutely a hint of a whine there.

Yu grinned. Minato’s eye-level was only at his chin. He hadn’t realized his rescuer was so short, either. “Maybe you’re just tiny.”

“Oh, go home already.”

Ryoji hopped to his feet, stepping between them before their picking at each other could escalate. “It was good to finally meet you properly, Yu-kun. We’ll see you around!”

Yu nodded. “Likewise, Ryoji...senpai.” He figured that was the correct form of address for more seasoned persona-users, though he couldn’t tell if they were older than him or not. But it was worth it to hear as he walked away Ryoji chiming, “Someone other than Ken-kun called me senpai! Yes!”

Those two were certainly weird, but Yu knew his life definitely wasn’t going back to normal now. Might as well embrace the helpful things coming his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to let you guys know, I'm leaving for vacation on Thursday, and there's no guarantee of wifi. So if there's not another chapter before I leave, it'll be at least a week and a half before the next one. Do not worry, I am not abandoning anything.
> 
> Please enjoy the mental image of Ryoji scolding the Reaper like a disobedient younger sibling. XD And Yu is four inches taller than the two of them, according to the Megaten wiki, so that was a funny thought. Also, this is probably already obvious, but if a specific event doesn’t get shown, figure that things happened the way they normally would in canon.
> 
> As trivia, following the thread back to the beginning, I can technically thank Five Nights at Freddy’s for getting me into Persona. Talk about “crazy maze of life”. XDDD


	7. May 3rd, 2011

Dojima had cancelled their Golden Week vacation.

If Yu hadn’t been annoyed at him before, he was now, because Dojima wasn’t the one who had to tell Nanako that going to the beach was out of the question. Dojima wasn’t the one who had to watch her clearly hold back tears even as she told him that it was okay and she understood. And Dojima wasn’t the one who was home with her on the day they should have been on the way to the beach.

Chie showing up only complicated matters. They’d wanted to meet to talk over the case so far, since now that Yukiko was home safely and had agreed to join their group, tracking down the murderer had become the issue of highest importance. But he wasn’t going to leave Nanako home alone now.

But as he looked back and saw her watching TV, he realized what he could do. “Chie, can I bring Nanako?”

Chie looked puzzled for a moment, since that would definitely limit their ability to talk about the murders, but seeing how down Nakako looked changed her mind immediately. “Sure, why not! It’s Golden Week; we can have some fun before we get all serious again.”

Yu flashed her a grateful smile, then went back to catch his cousin’s attention. “Nanako, do you want to come hang out with my friends and me today?”

She frowned. “A-Are you sure? I’m fine staying here…”

“Of course I’m sure.” And then he pulled out his secret weapon. “We’re meeting at Junes to hang out and have lunch.”

Nanako’s eyes widened. “Junes? Really?! Let me brush my hair; I’ll be right there!” She shot up the stairs like a rocket, and Yu smiled fondly. He wasn’t sure why Nanako liked the department store so much, but if going there could make her day better, he’d spend all day with her if he had to.

***

Yu’s friends had welcomed Nanako easily. Yosuke looked like he was going to cry when she said how happy she was to be at Junes, and none of them showed any kind of annoyance at having a little kid in their midst. On the contrary, the mood seemed grateful that they didn’t have to get back into serious topics so soon.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t go on vacation as a group this year,” Chie lamented. “Even a weekend at the hot springs or something would have been fun. Maybe during summer break.”

“Hot springs would definitely be fun~!” Yosuke laughed. “They’re co-ed, right? Right?”

Chie punched him. “Shut up, you pervert! There’s kids around!”

Yukiko smiled at Nanako, completely ignoring the other two. “I’m very sorry your trip got cancelled, Nanako. I know spending time with us can’t possibly make up for it, but I hope you’re having fun.”

“I am!” Nanako said with a bright smile. “I’m so happy I got to come!”

“You have a wonderful big brother, inviting you along.” Yukiko was just offering an innocent compliment, but Nanako looked surprised, and began turning pink. Yu, as well, looked up from his fries and looked startled. Apparently neither of them had considered that title before, and Nanako said tentatively, as if testing it out, “Yes… I’m glad I have… onii-chan.”

Yu stared down into his food in a half-hearted effort to hide the rather stupid smile spreading across his face, and Chie elbowed him, grinning. “You must be doing a good job, ‘onii-chan’.”

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t protective of her. It had only been a month, but he loved her like the sibling he’d never had, and if Dojima wasn’t going to be around, he would be. He exchanged slightly embarrassed smiles with Nanako across the table, much to his friends’ amusement, but was promptly distracted when a familiar voice called, “Hi, Yu-kun!”

Yu turned to look, and sure enough, it was Ryoji, his reluctant-looking boyfriend following behind with hands stuffed in his pockets. Yu hadn’t seen Ryoji and Minato since that night they’d saved him from Yukiko’s dungeon, though he had taken their advice and finally purchased some items from the store, just in case. It was a good thing, too, because no one had wanted to walk out of the castle after Yukiko's shadow had been beaten. The pair stopped beside the table, and Ryoji said brightly, “Mind if we join you?”

Yosuke unabashedly stared. “Is this them?” Yu had eventually told them about the strange pair that had saved him from the Reaper, and all of them were interested in meeting the two other persona-users. But they glanced warily at Nanako, uncertain if they wanted to do this while she was here.

But Yu nodded. “It’s fine. Minato-san, Ryoji-senpai, these are my friends, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko, and my cousin Nanako.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Minato said, raising a hand in a halfhearted wave.

Ryoji, meanwhile, slid into a chair between Chie and Nanako and smiled. “A friend of Yu-kun’s is a friend of mine~!”

Minato picked a chair beside Yu, looking much more uncomfortable with the larger group of people. Nanako looked from him to Ryoji curiously, and asked, “Do you go to school with onii-chan too?”

Ryoji winked. "We play the same game, and we met online talking about it," he lied smoothly. "Yu-kun was going to get beaten by the bad guys, and we helped him get past that part and get to the boss." He ignored Yukiko giggling and Minato pressing a hand to his forehead in exasperation in favor of Nanako's beaming smile.

"That sounds like a great game!" she said. "Is it something I could play too?"

"Unfortunately, there's an age limit." When Ryoji said that, Minato muffled a snort of amusement, much to the rest of the group's confusion. "But you know what else I'm good at? The claw machine. Want to see?"

Nanako glanced from the claw machine just inside the entrance to the food court to Yu. "Can I, onii-chan?"

"Sure." Nanako would be fine with Ryoji. He was weird, but he didn't seem dangerous. And she seemed happy enough to follow him over to the claw machine, which was filled with stuffed bears.

When the two of them were out of earshot, Minato stole one of Yu's fries and said, "Well, then. I did want to meet the rest of you, but this is more social than I expected."

"Why _did_ you want to meet us? Narukami-kun said you were in the TV, but that doesn't make sense. He's the only one that can open the door," Chie huffed. They had tried to go one afternoon when Yu had an errand to run for Dojima, and the TV had refused to let them in without him present.

"Satonaka, that's two separate questions..." Yosuke started, but she punched his shoulder and he shut up.

Minato stared pensively at the container of fries, and Yu finally just pushed it over to him. The blue-haired boy offered a tiny smile of thanks, then began, "I can enter the TV because I am different from a normal persona-user. Let's leave that at that for now." He ate another fry. "We're here to keep an eye on things, and because it's helpful to have someone who understands how things work around. When my persona awakened, I had the older members of my team to explain things."

"A whole team?" Yukiko asked.

"Yes. We called ourselves S.E.E.S.: the Special Extracurricular Execution Squad," Minato explained. "We fought in a labyrinth called Tartarus during an extra hour of the day to stop the coming of the end of the world."

The Investigation Team (as they'd begun calling themselves in their heads) all looked at each other, except for Yu, who had heard most of this before. No one really seemed to know how to respond, since the end of the world was such a big deal compared to their murder and kidnapping. Finally, Yosuke said, "What, so you want to be our mentor or something?"

"I'm a bit more forthright in my explanations than the Velvet Room attendants, at least," Minato said, a touch sardonically, and then stuffed at least seven fries in his mouth at once.

The others were a bit confused, but asked several questions about items and personas. Minato did his best to answer, but when they started getting into the existential stuff like "what are shadows?" he had to cut them off. Thankfully, Nanako came running back over with three stuffed bears that Ryoji had managed to win from the claw machine, and was eager to show them off.

As the afternoon wore on, they ended up going their separate ways, feeling much better about their abilities. Minato and Ryoji walked Yu and Nanako home, to Nanako's enthusiastic agreement. She never stopped smiling, one hand holding Yu's, the other arm wrapped solidly around her new bears. When they got home, she raced upstairs to find them a home, and Yu smiled at Ryoji.

"Thank you," he said. "She needed this. We were supposed to go on vacation, and it got canceled."

Ryoji waved him off. "It's fine, it's fine. Nanako-chan's cute, and it was no trouble. Get a chance to ask Minato everything you needed to?"

"So far, at least. I'm sure I'll come up with more things to ask in the future." Yu shrugged.

"That's fine," Minato said. "As a fellow Wild Card, I would think you'd have the most questions, and ones that need answers other than mumbling about fate or strength of heart."

"You sound like you know all about that," Yu teased, and Minato rolled his eyes.

"That and ridiculously small rewards for complicated quests. If Margaret starts asking you to do things, don't let her short-change you," he said firmly.

"I won't." Yu looked the two boys over. "...did you...want to stay for dinner? Where are you staying in town?"

Ryoji grinned. "We're not. There's a Velvet Room door where we live, too. They don't mind us cutting through to go between here and home." His smile was infectious, and Yu couldn't help but laugh. Of course they didn't. These two were already weird enough; being able to use the Velvet Room as a thoroughfare didn't even seem strange at this point.

Minato watched Yu thoughtfully. "One day you'll be able to see the parts other than the limo, too," he said. "But for now, your mind's molded the interior of your room into that form, and that's how it stays 'til your journey's over."

Yu had noticed that Minato had a very lazy way of talking, even about serious topics like the Velvet Room and the end of the world. He'd never sounded even remotely agitated, even speaking about facing down that "Nyx". But he felt certain that Minato took this seriously, and Ryoji as well, despite the former's apathetic nature and the latter's joviality.

"Well, Velvet Room or not, the dinner invitation stands. I doubt my uncle will be back tonight," he said. "I was going to make curry."

Ryoji turned puppy-dog eyes on Minato. "Can we? Ken-kun is fine to make his own dinner; he's been practicing!"

Minato sighed. "All right, all right." He smiled at Yu. "We thank you for your hospitality."

Yu just waved them into the living room, going to start getting the ingredients out. This was going to be an interesting dinner, but it seemed like a good ending to a good day.

He had five whole friends, now. Maybe having friends wasn't such a bad thing after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo! I’m back from vacation! It was a much-needed break from real life, and I got a whole dungeon farther in Persona Q. ^_^
> 
> I appreciate the headcanon that Minato really likes food, so this will not be the last time he steals someone’s fries, I can almost guarantee it. Nor will it be the last time they hang out with Nanako. Ryoji’s earned her undying admiration for being good at the claw machine. XDDDD
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!


	8. May 21st, 2011

Tatsumi Kanji was the last person that Yu would have guessed at possibly being gay, but the trip through this weird bathhouse dungeon wasn't doing much to allay those thoughts. After the sensational story about him had run on TV, the tough-guy first-year had appeared on the Midnight Channel. Despite the team's (rather pathetic) attempts to gather information, he'd ended up tossed into the television world, and now they were working their way through yet another dungeon to try to get him back.

Although, Yosuke had attempted to leave after seeing what the dungeon was.

After yet another fight with a giggling body-builder shadow in a towel, Yu was inclined to agree.

He didn't really care what Kanji's sexuality was. Not like Yosuke. He was sure that he was the only one in the group that knew about Minato and Ryoji being a couple, and it had never bothered him one bit. But this was over-the-top to the point of being incredibly uncomfortable, combined with the contrast from Kanji's usual personality. It sucked.

"Let's call it a night," he said, finally, as they sat on the stairs leading to the next floor of the dungeon. "Who's got the goho-m?"

"I do," Yukiko said, fishing the jar out of her bag. They were all damp and tired and overheated, and crowded around the jar gratefully as she opened it. The lobby appeared around them, and they stumbled back through the TV, unconcerned how they would look to anyone still in Junes at this time of day.

It was tempting to grab drinks on the way down, but getting clean was more tempting, and Yu went straight home afterwards to practically throw himself into a lukewarm bath. If he never saw steam again it might be too soon.

When he came back downstairs afterwards, Nanako was in the living room, along with his two 'mentors'.

"They wanted to talk to you, onii-chan, so we were waiting," Nanako said brightly. Dojima, once again, was working late, and Yu felt a stab of mild concern that she was answering the door on her own. But he supposed she knew the two of them by now, since they'd been over for dinner twice and had wheedled Yu into showing them around town once.

He gave Nanako a thankful pat on her head, and she hurried upstairs to take her own bath and get ready for bed. Yu, meanwhile, sat down on the couch, looking at his two guests curiously.

"Margaret says you haven't been to see her in a while. She's getting lonely," Ryoji teased.

Yu sighed. "I've been busy. Between school and this thing with Kanji... I guess she sent you because she can't leave the room?"

"She can. But she doesn't like to, and she didn't want to barge into your house." Ignoring the implication that _they_ were okay with barging into Yu’s house, Minato leaned into Ryoji's side, his eyes half-lidded like he was sleepy. But they were still sharp, and they scrutinized Yu until the blue-haired boy finally asked, "What's bothering you?"

It was worthless to ask how Minato could tell, so Yu settled for tipping his head back in exasperation. "This dungeon's a pain. Hot, damp, and irritating." Staring at the ceiling, he continued, "I just feel like there's things I still don't understand, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, our shadows. All of them so far have been expressions of things the others didn’t want to say, or feelings they were burying. If they're part of us, our repressed feelings, and personas are parts of our consciousness or something, aren't they sort of the same?"

There was silence for a long time, and Yu finally tipped his head forward again, half-convinced the other two had vanished. But they were still there, just staring at him and looking at a loss for words. Finally, Ryoji swallowed hard and managed, "I didn't expect anyone to get it that quickly. Wow. Yes, shadows and personas are fundamentally the same. Personas are just under your control."

Yu hadn't expected to be right, and so he fumbled for a second, caught off-guard. "...what are the smaller shadows, then? If they're not people?"

"Fragments of consciousness. It's not so uncommon." Minato brushed off the question in his usual lax way, and Yu knew that he wasn't going to get a proper answer. So he changed tactics.

"Did you two have to fight your shadows to awaken your personas, then?"

“Yu-kun…” Minato said, a strange note in his voice, and Yu faltered uncertainly at the look on both his and Ryoji’s faces. They blinked slowly, deliberately, almost in unison, and their eyes were suddenly almost the same luminous gold.

_“We are each other’s shadows.”_

Yu acknowledged to himself, as he scrambled to his feet and fumbled for a sword that wasn't there, that there had been something wrong with both of them from the start. Something that didn’t feel quite human. And hadn't Margaret said of Ryoji that he was of some existence more than human? But he hadn’t expected _this_. He wasn't even going to bother to ask how shadows could exist outside of the TV. 

It was probably better that the sword was absent, as it would have been as helpful as a lump of wood in clumsy fingers, but Ryoji bumped his head against Minato’s and smiled at Yu, his eyes going back to blue.

“It’s okay,” he assured. “We’re not _really_ shadows, but we’re not perfectly human either. It’s a long story.”

_"Explain,"_ Yu choked out, sinking back onto the couch. Thank goodness. He wasn't sure what would have happened if he'd had to fight off two human-form shadows in his house with his cousin upstairs and no weapons. “Actually, give me a minute, then explain.” He got up without another word, going upstairs to check on Nanako and make sure she was actually in bed like she was supposed to be. It also gave him a second to collect himself from the scare that he’d just had.

When he returned downstairs, the other two were sitting right where he left them, looking deceptively normal and harmless. He sat back down and stared at them, and Minato rolled his eyes.

“We don’t bite, Yu-kun. We’re still the same Minato and Ryoji from fifteen minutes ago.”

“Finding out that you’re not exactly people changes my perspective just a little.”

“Of course we’re people.” Ryoji pouted. “I just didn’t start off that way.”

Yu’s expression didn’t waver, and Minato sighed, reaching up to pat Ryoji absently on the shoulder. “Ryoji was one of my personas.”

That wasn’t what Yu had been expecting in the _slightest,_ and for the second time in fifteen minutes he felt sucker-punched by words alone. He realized his mouth was hanging open, but couldn’t find the willpower to close it, too busy trying to process what Minato had said. Ryoji was a persona?

_Minato was dating his own subconscious?_

“Well, technically he wasn’t _mine_ , he was a shadow that I was able to manifest in the form of a persona,” Minato added, clearing up nothing.

Ryoji, thankfully, saw the spiral of confusion starting to manifest in Yu’s silvery eyes, and elbowed his other half. “We told you about Nyx, right? Nyx’s Avatar, the Appriser of Humanity, was divided twelve years ago into the thirteen Arcana Shadows. And in an effort to keep those shadows from reforming into the Avatar, the shadow of the thirteenth arcana, Death, was sealed into a living vessel when they realized it couldn’t be destroyed.”

Yu looked back and forth between them. “A living vessel?”

“Yes. Minato bore the Death Arcana inside of him for ten years. When S.E.E.S. began destroying the other Arcana Shadows, Death grew more powerful as more pieces of its full form returned to it, until upon the defeat of all twelve, it was no longer containable, and manifested in an amnesiatic form. A human form.” 

Ryoji was watching him, with those inhumanly blue eyes, and Yu suddenly felt his stomach twist into a knot. “You,” he said. “You’re Death. You’re Nyx’s Avatar.”

“I’m...Death,” Ryoji confirmed. He looked regretful, just for a moment, and then he said, “But I am no longer Nyx’s Avatar. I’m just as human as Minato. Which is mostly.”

“I saved him,” Minato said, and there was a wistful look in his eyes that seemed strange on the usually-unconcerned teenager. “I saved the part of him that became human after living with me so long. And together we forged the Seal that stopped Nyx. That’s why we’re more than human. We’re part of the Great Seal. He has two arcana, and I am the highest arcana there is: the Universe.”

Yu took a deep breath, processing the vast amount of things he’d been told at once. It did clarify, at least, that their eyes _hadn't_ been the same color. Ryoji's had been shadow-gold, yes, but Minato's had been the same color as the Velvet Room attendants. It was subtle, but it definitely wasn't the same.

He knew he had to take it one step at a time, or his brain was just going to give up. So he picked a small thing, and asked slowly, “So you’re both sealing away Nyx? So that...it...she?... can’t kill humanity?”

“Well...technically we’re sealing away Erebus,” Ryoji said.

“What’s an Erebus?”

Minato considered for a moment. “It’s...what did you call it, that one time?” he asked, glancing at Ryoji.

Ryoji frowned. “The living desire for demise. Humanity’s desire for the End, given life and form, calling out to Nyx.” He shook his head. “That’s...all that any of this is. Humanity’s will, shaped into beasts or weapons, or interpreted by those who have the ability to act. Nyx saw the desire for the End made manifest, and heeded our call.”

Yu frowned, puzzled. “So Nyx isn’t a shadow?”

“Nyx is the Mother of Shadows, but she is not a shadow herself. She is something greater.” Ryoji flinched as Minato elbowed him, and realized that his tone had been a little too close to that night on the bridge. So instead he said, “There are definitely beings in this world that are a higher power. We’ve just only met the one that would kill us. But the Velvet Room attendants assure us that there are others, including someone who’s Igor’s master.”

Yu couldn’t picture Igor answering to anyone. But if they said so… He sighed, running his hand down his face. “Is there anything else I should know?”

“Now you sound like Mitsuru-senpai,” Minato drawled. “You’ll find out eventually, I’m sure. I get to keep some secrets.”

It was probably for the best. Finding out that his friends were Death and the Universe was a little bit much already. “I suppose you do.” He picked up an abandoned square of note paper from the table, absently beginning to fold it. “So long as you’re not dangerous, not that it sounds like there’s much I could do to stop you if you were.”

“We’re not,” Ryoji assured him. “We’re just here to help.” He tugged Minato to his feet, wrapping an arm around the other boy’s waist. “Make sure you go see Margaret soon. She wants to show you a new kind of fusion.”

Yu sighed, remembering that that was why they’d shown up at his house in the first place, and nodded. “I will. Thanks for letting me know.” He set down the paper, now folded into a crane, and walked them to the door. When they’d disappeared in the direction of the shopping district, he went back to sink into the couch. That was a _lot_ to process, and he reached for more paper on instinct.

He decided, after ten minutes of mindless origami and letting his thoughts chase themselves in circles, that he wasn’t going to try to explain it to the others. That Minato and Ryoji were powerful persona-users was the important part. Everything else was a distraction from rescuing Kanji and figuring out who was trying to use the television world to kill people.

But he was almost certain that they hadn’t hit the bottom of the barrel of weirdness just yet. Next time, he’d try to be better prepared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yu learns some stuff the audience already knew, and Minato, despite his claims, is really not much more helpful than the Velvet kids when it comes to explaining things to do with himself. He just likes seeing the look on Yu’s face when he says the next absurd thing. And imagine, he hasn’t even told Yu that he can do magic or that he has a sister in another timeline. XD
> 
> ~~He’s not dating his own subconscious. Wrong game, Yu-kun.~~
> 
> Anyway, next chapter I attempt to write Marie! :’’’’D I don’t really like Marie. But I’ve been rewatching part of the Golden anime to try to get her voice down, and wow I forgot how blatant it was that Yu’s running on NG+ the whole time. It’s almost weird.


	9. June 15th, 2011

When Yu entered the Velvet Room, he found Minato and Marie sitting at opposite ends of the limo’s bench seat. Minato was listening to his headphones, seemingly unconcerned, and Marie kept throwing venomous glares over her shoulder at him. He stopped mid-climbing into the limo, briefly reconsidering his life choices, then stepped the rest of the way in.

“Marie?”

Her gaze snapped over to focus on him, and she grabbed her bag and got up with a huff. “Thank goodness. Let’s go before I kick this guy’s butt.”

“What?” Yu glanced at Minato, who was still reclined on the seat as if he hadn’t even heard them.

“He was reading my writing! Without permission! StupidmoronIhatehim…”

“It was on the floor,” Minato said, deadpan, and Marie just turned and headed for the door, clearly agitated.

Yu waved goodbye to Minato, and followed her out, still a bit confused. “What was he doing there, anyway?”

“Margaret said she and The Nose had something to do, and he was going to ‘watch the room’,” Marie said testily. She gripped the strap of her messenger bag, twisting it back and forth. “I don’t get what’s so special about him. He can’t do fusions or any of that other stuff that they can do. He’s just around, with that weird friend of his and that other girl.”

Uncertain which ‘other girl’ Marie was even talking about, Yu just smiled in what he hoped was a calm manner. “I’ve pretty much learned not to question Margaret or Igor. I’m sure he’s fine. Come on, don’t worry about it, we’re having fun today.”

Marie glanced at him, tugging the brim of her hat down in a sudden show of embarrassment. “Oh, right. You still haven’t told me where we’re going, you know.”

Yu gestured in the direction of the train station. “There’s not much to do here in town, and we’ve been basically everywhere, but I hear that there’s interesting stuff to do in Okina City. I promised you that we would make new memories, so…”

“O-Oh… Okay then.” Marie frowned, shoving him lightly in the shoulder as they walked. “What kind of stuff?”

“Well, Yosuke suggested the movies.” Yu was pretty sure Yosuke thought they were going on a date. Which he supposed was an easy mistake to make. “Chie and Yukiko suggested shopping. Kanji said to figure out if you have any hobbies. Which I guess is writing?”

“No! I just have a lot of words and sometimes I have to write them down!” Marie objected, but Yu pretended not to see the flush spreading across her nose, smiling.

“Okay, then.”

***

When they got to the platform for the Okina City train, the only other person standing there, to Yu’s surprise, was Adachi.

“Hey,” the detective said, looking equally surprised to see them, too. “Done with school for the day?”

“Yeah. We’re heading out to Okina City. I’m showing Marie around,” Yu said. Marie hung back a step behind him, watching Adachi skeptically.

Adachi shrugged. “Well, that seems like a good plan. Not like there’s much here in Inaba.” He tapped his foot, glancing down the empty tracks. “Even the trains can’t be bothered to run on time. Geeze, why does anyone live here?”

Yu had noticed, over several times of bumping into Adachi without his uncle around, that without an authority figure Adachi was a lot more pessimistic and impatient. It was weird, and Yu usually tried to smile and nod. “I didn’t pick to come here.” It was the truth, but he liked it here now.

“That’s right, we’re kinda the same. I didn’t get to pick either.” Adachi grinned, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Got transferred out here, and it was go or quit!”

“Were you not good enough to stay in the city?” Marie asked, and Yu stepped quickly in front of her.

“Don’t mind her, she’s just a little blunt sometimes,” he said, but Adachi just stared at them, his face falling into a displeased frown.

“Whatever.” He went back to watching for the train, and when it finally arrived he got on without another word or a single glance back at either of them.

Marie sat next to Yu in a different car, watching as the scenery began to scroll past outside the window. “That guy was kind of weird,” she said. “What’s his problem?”

“I haven’t figured it out yet,” Yu admitted. Margaret had told him that he had a link with Adachi, but the arcana was something strange, something that didn’t normally exist. Jester, she had said, but there was no Jester card. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to ask anyone from the Velvet Room what that meant, to have a bond not of the standard deck. Did that mean it wasn’t going to be a lasting bond? “Adachi-san is...not the easiest person to read.”

“It’s kind of a pain, isn’t it? Not being able to tell what people are like?” Marie looked melancholy, and as Yu shifted to look at her, she added, “I barely know what I’m like. How am I supposed to deal with other people?”

“You take it one person at a time. I don’t really like to get to know people either.”

That surprised her, and she turned away with a huff to cover her uncertain expression. “What does that mean? Why are you even talking to me, then?”

“Because since I came to Inaba, I’ve realized that I like having friends,” Yu admitted bluntly. “I’m tired of being lonely. And I want to be friends with you.”

“Stupid, saying something embarrassing like that.” But despite Marie’s pout, she looked happy, and they ended up watching the scenery go by together, pointing out interesting things to each other along the way.

***

They ended up taking all of their friends’ advice. They went to a movie, a drama about using uneven timelines to change the future and save lives, and then they went shopping, poking around the stores in Okina City. Marie wasn’t much interested in clothes, and Kanji had asked Yu to run an errand if he had time, so they ended up in a craft store, with Yu looking for a yarn that was apparently called “orchard mist”.

He finally had to ask an employee, lost among a sea of infinite shades of lavender, and after paying for his two skeins of yarn plus one extra item, he went to find Marie. She was two aisles over from the registers, hands buried up to the wrists in a bin of fluffy yarn.

_“A soft touch, against a tearful cheek. A replacement for warmth that was never given.”_

Yu realized she was off on a tangent, coming up with more poetry, and he hesitated, not wanting to seem like he was eavesdropping.

_“Grey, like a storm rolling in to wash away uncertainty. Blue, like those who seem so distant.”_

He beat a hasty, silent retreat around the corner, then started forward again. “Marie? Where’d you go?”

By the time she came back into view, she’d yanked her hands out of the bin and was waiting for him. “Over here. Did you find what your other friend wanted?”

Yu showed her the yarn, then rummaged under the skeins and pulled out a journal with a pattern of clouds rolling across the front of it. “This is for you.”

“Y-You got me something?” Marie stammered, looking at the journal and then around the store as if thinking people would be watching them. “Why would you do that?”

“You can write in it, and the pages won’t get lost on the floor,” Yu said simply. 

He was expecting a sarcastic comment. Had prepared for it, even. But Marie took the journal from him carefully, running her fingers over the slightly embossed cover. “...thank you,” she said, very quietly, and he smiled.

“Anytime.”

***

When they returned to the Velvet Room at the end of the day, Minato was still there, but had apparently dozed off leaning against one of the windows, a book flopped open on his lap. Beside him, there was a girl Yu had never seen before. She bore a striking similarity to Margaret, but with short, bobbed hair, and Marie groaned and turned away.

“Today was fun. Let’s go again sometime.” And with that, she was gone, leaving Yu to the mercy of curious golden eyes.

“You must be the new Wild Card!” the girl proclaimed. “My name is Elizabeth, and I am an attendant of the Velvet Room. My sister and my master are busy with other business, and my former guest is neglecting his charge, so I am here instead!”

Yu stared at her. She was so exuberant compared to Margaret, Igor, Minato, and even Ryoji and Marie, that he wasn’t quite sure how to react. Though he did register that she had been Minato’s attendant, once upon a time, and Yu wondered how such a quiet person had dealt with her for a whole year. “Er...hi. I’m Narukami Yu.”

“Excellent!” Elizabeth said. “We haven’t had a guest since Minato-san; it’s good to have a new Wild Card in the room. Perhaps while my sister is not here I should test your fusion capabilities… Or perhaps your battle skills...”

Out of the corner of his eye, Yu saw Minato crack an eye open and mouth, _Run._ So he held up his hands in a gesture of apology, taking a step back. “I actually have a lot of homework to do, and my friends and I need to meet up to discuss our next move in our investigation. So, uh, maybe another time?”

Elizabeth pouted exaggeratedly. “What a shame… Another time, then. I expect amazing things from you, Narukami-san!”

Yu made his farewells, leaving the blue limo to step back into the shopping district. He was going to have to ask Minato about her in the future. It seemed like it would be an interesting story, at the very least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I did Marie justice. And Adachi. He's hard for me because knowing what he is taints trying to write him pre-reveal. X'D
> 
> They went to a slightly anachronistic movie, but hey, it fits an image in my head so I went for it. XDDD


	10. June 18th, 2011

“I know him. I’m sure that I know him.”

Hamuko, head resting on her arms atop the bar, stared at her brother blankly. “Well, yes. You’ve known him since April. It’s been two months, Minato.”

The Yasogami High kids were on their yearly school camping trip, which was a completely foreign concept to the twins, but Minato had just shrugged when Margaret let him and Ryoji know that Yu wasn’t going to be around. It just meant that when his sister showed up, eager to compare notes on how their different versions of the Shadow Operatives were developing, he wasn’t otherwise engaged.

“It’s not that. He already seemed familiar when I met him,” Minato complained. “And I can’t figure it out. Sometimes he’ll do things, and I’ll get this weird burst of deja-vu.”

“And it’s not one of those weird Universe alternate-possibilities-original-fates-blah-blah-blah, like with the whole dying-and-becoming-the-Seal thing?” Hamuko asked. After talking it over, they’d realized that they both got those little flashes of what their original fates would have been.

But Minato shook his head. “No, this is real. A constant from before New Year’s. I keep trying to get Elizabeth to tell me what she knows, but she keeps dodging my questions, and Theo literally runs away.”

Hamuko grinned, sitting up to face him. “I’ll see if I can corner him. I wonder why I don’t remember this guy, though. Do you think it’s something that didn’t happen to me?”

They were well aware that they’d had different links, slightly different friends, different Velvet Room attendants. But if something as significant as meeting a future Wild Card had happened to one and not the other, that was worth investigating.

Minato shrugged. “I don’t know. But definitely try to grab Theo. He’ll crack if you get hold of him.” He glanced over at the door as it opened, and Belladonna stepped inside, looking mildly surprised to see them.

“Forgive me, I did not realize anyone was in here,” she said. “I was going to do my vocal warmups, but I can go somewhere else.”

“You’re fine! You know how much we like your singing,” Hamuko replied, giving her a thumbs-up. Belladonna smiled fondly at them, and as the familiar tones of singing began, Hamuko added to Minato, “I wonder if any of the others can sing that well. You know, like a chorus or something. Can you imagine how cool the song would be then?”

“Yeah, except Elizabeth and Margaret are tone-deaf,” Minato said dryly. “Might be worth a shot to check with Theo and Lavenza, though.”

He frowned, suddenly, as he realized what he had said, and Hamuko tilted her head curiously. “You’ve heard them sing? Or try to, it sounds like?”

“...not that I recall.” Minato continued to frown. “Why do I know that they’re bad at singing?” He could hear them, singing that ridiculous song about Igor’s nose together at completely different tempos and pitches. And Yu had been there too; they’d looked at each other in barely-hidden hysterics over these otherworldly beings who couldn’t carry a tune to save their presumably-immortal lives. “I have to get Elizabeth to tell me what I’m missing. It’s getting concerning.”

“My brother, supreme lord of ‘whatever’, is concerned?” Hamuko teased, but she laid a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, if it was something bad, they would have let you know by now. Elizabeth’s probably just trying to cover up that incident of bad singing. She probably threatened Theo into keeping quiet, too.” 

It was a ridiculous thought, but Minato could buy it, if only to distract himself from how disconcerting it was to seemingly be missing a chunk of memories. Listening to Belladonna sing was soothing, though, and Hamuko eventually climbed over the bar to make them shaved ice.

“Do you think reality would crack in half if I ever went out of the room into your world?” she asked brightly, dumping a ridiculous amount of cherry syrup over the ice and pushing it towards Minato. There were only four available flavors; they’d had to get the syrup themselves, since there was no food in the Velvet Room. They were convinced none of the residents actually _needed_ to eat. But what was a dance hall bar without shaved ice, the only suitable, frosty replacement for not being old enough to buy alcohol?

Minato grabbed a spoon and shrugged. “I dunno. It’s not like you’d have to worry about running into yourself. You’d just be...stepping back into the space left behind, I guess.”

“We should try it sometime. I want to meet this Narukami-kun.” Making up a bowl of lime ice for herself, she vaulted back over the bar to retake her stool.

“Just go meet your own,” Minato countered. “Why do you want to risk breaking reality?”

Hamuko stuck her tongue out at him. “Because he’s probably not the same! And what am I supposed to do, waltz up to him and go ‘Hey, my brother knows you in another universe and I wanted to meet you’?”

“If you’re going to be weird about it, don’t bother.” He stuffed a huge spoonful of cherry ice in his mouth and promptly regretted it, eyes widening with brainfreeze.

His sister giggled. “Geeze, are we having an actual sibling argument? This is funny.”

He considered for a moment, then stuck his tongue out at her in response, which only made her giggle harder because it was bright red from the syrup. “Minato, seriously, I wanna meet him at some point.”

Minato sighed heavily. “All right, all right. As long as we’re not breaking reality.”

Hamuko grinned, pleased to have gotten her way, and dug into her dessert with enthusiasm. But a few minutes later, she set the spoon down, silent. It took Minato a moment to notice her troubled expression, and he set his own spoon down as well. “What’s wrong?”

“Is it...bad that I’ve considered grabbing Shinji and just coming to live in your world?” Hamuko said, her voice catching oddly. Minato stared at her, and she forced a laugh and said, “Like you said, we’d just be stepping back into the spaces we left. And I know they wouldn’t be _my_ Mitsuru-senpai and Yukari-chan and everyone, but it would probably be okay. But that seems so selfish because I’d be leaving everyone in my timeline behind…” She shook her head, still plastering on a smile. “It’s stupid. I know it’s stupid. Your world just seems...bigger. Fuller.”

“Hamuko…” Minato hesitated, then got up to wrap his arms around her from behind. “That’s your decision. And only your decision. And I think the person who saved the world is allowed to be selfish once in a while.” His grip loosened as she turned around to fling her arms around him in return, burying her face in his neck. They stood there a long time, just holding each other, before Minato squeezed her. “C’mon, your ice is melting.”

From where she was across the room, Belladonna shook her head. These children, honestly. Worrying so much when the worst had already passed for them. She would give them a hug herself, but the last time she had done that they’d frozen up and gotten confused. Neither of them had parents, and they weren’t used to affection like that. So she just kept an eye on them, and if they needed to talk, she would be here.

They were safe here, if nowhere else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~In which Minato is very concerned that he can’t remember Persona Q.~~
> 
> Damn it, Hamu-chan, you made it angsty at the end. X’D Hamuko subconsciously knows she’s the non-canon route, which is hilariously ironic because in this universe, her timeline is basically playing out like regular canon except that she’s alive and part of the Shadow Operatives. I’m tempted to nuke her timeline so she can come live with Minato though. X’’’’D
> 
> I started Persona 5 this morning and I love it. So much. Oh my gosh Akira is wonderful and I feel so bad for him being so mistreated by everyone. I’m literally 2 hours in and I have already decided that he is my son because Cafe Dude makes early-game Dojima look like Parent of the Year in comparison.
> 
> Just so you guys know, I do know about Lavenza, but I don’t know why she’s like that. And I know which of your eventual companions rats you out. But that’s all, so no other spoilers please!


	11. July 3rd, 2011

They’d had to move to a bigger table at Junes. With the addition of Kanji, Rise, and Teddie’s new human form, there wasn’t enough space for the entire Investigation Team. Especially if their unofficial mentors showed up as well. But those two had been quiet, recently, so the team was left on their own to work out new clues.

“My grandmother is just so happy to have me back that I don’t really want to ask if she noticed anything weird around the shop,” Rise said, shaking her head. “And all I remember is that I went to put the trash bins out for her when we closed that night, and someone grabbed me. After that, it was just a blur. The next thing I remember is being in the dungeon.”

“It’s fine, Rise. We understand,” Yu said.

“None of us remember anything either,” Kanji said. “Yukiko-senpai and I had basically the same experience.”

“So we’re stuck, _again_ ,” Chie groaned. “How are we supposed to figure out who the murderer is if there aren’t any clues? It’s not like there’s a single person that ties all of us together. We can’t look back and say, ‘Oh, we all saw so-and-so the day we got kidnapped.’ This is ridiculous.” She stabbed an empty steak skewer against her plate irritably.

Yu sighed, glancing around at his teammates. Chie had a point. There wasn’t really anything to link the people who appeared on the Midnight Channel together, and no clear suspects anywhere. “I suppose when the murder weapon is a mysterious world inside a TV, there isn’t a lot of evidence to be had.” It wasn’t like they had marks showing that they could access the inside of the TV, otherwise they could just _look_ for someone else with that kind of access. But for now… “I think we need to train. Rise needs to learn the extent of her abilities, and Teddie too, and then if something like this happens again we’ll be faster and stronger and might be able to catch the murderer in the act.”

“So we’re heading into the TV today?” Yosuke asked, and when Yu nodded, he grinned. “Sounds good, partner. I’ve been wanting to see what these two can do, too, especially since Teddie won’t shut up about how cool his persona is.”

“It’s beary cool, sensei! Yosuke just doesn’t believe me!” Teddie cried, and Yu raised an eyebrow.

“Prove it to him then. Let’s go.”

***

Teddie turned out to have a pretty valuable skillset. He was revealed to be good at healing spells, like Yukiko, and he was better at ice magic than Chie, who preferred to focus on physical fighting rather than magic. It was good to have another healer and someone who balanced out their elemental abilities.

Rise, meanwhile, seemed suited for the support role she’d taken briefly during their confrontation with Teddie’s shadow. Minato had expressed surprise a while back that they still didn’t have what he called a ‘navigator’, someone who could scan enemies and discover information about the dungeons. He’d mentioned a quiet girl named Fuuka who had served as S.E.E.S.’s navigator, but had given no actual information on how to find a person with those abilities. Now they had one, and Yu was realizing, as he watched Rise guide the others in a battle with a few weaker shadows, that it was going to be extremely helpful.

“It’s weak to fire,” Rise said calmly, watching the battle through Himiko’s visor. She was in the middle of the lobby, with Yu keeping an eye on her, while the others traipsed around the first two floors of Yukiko’s castle so that she and Teddie could get some practice. “One more shot should be enough to take it out, if you can get around the other side, Yukiko-senpai.”

She sounded confident, which was a vast improvement from her uncertainty about herself in her dungeon. Yu was proud of her, for adapting so well so quickly.

_Those with potential possess greater strength of heart than the average. It is only to be expected._

Yu nodded. He could hear his personas while they were inside the TV, if he focused, but Izanagi’s voice always stood out to him the most, as the truest reflection of his inner self. “Still, she’s been through a lot. I was worried this was too soon.”

_Thy worries are unfounded. She knows herself. Awakening to one’s true self does not have a set length of recovery. Your concern for your companions is an admirable trait, however._

Yu smiled to himself. It was technically his own subconscious praising him, or something, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t nice to hear. He refocused when Rise called out to him, lifting Himiko’s visor and coming over to sit beside him.

“They’re on their way back down. I...I think I can do this, senpai!” she said earnestly. “I’m so glad that there’s something I can do to help you guys. You saved me, and now I want to make sure we can stop this murderer before he gets anyone else.”

“You’re going to do great,” Yu assured her.

She was silent for a long moment, then smiled. “Do you remember making cranes with me, before I got tossed into the TV?” She rummaged in her purse, withdrawing a tiny crane folded out of glossy silver paper. “I made this for you. It took a couple of tries, but… Thank you. For treating me like a person instead of an idol. You’ve always looked at _me_ , not that image of me, and...I’m grateful.”

Yu took the crane carefully, letting it rest in his palm. “Everyone is just themselves,” he said quietly. “Idols, people, mostly-people…”

“Mostly people?” Rise giggled. “You’re funny, Narukami-senpai.” She glanced down at her hands, folding and unfolding them in her lap, then looked up to meet his eyes. “Senpai, I--”

“Senseiiiiiii!” Teddie’s voice echoed from the walkway that led to the castle, and the rest of the team came into view, grinning and chatting amongst themselves. Rise looked embarrassed, but covered it up quickly, turning to face them as they approached.

“We’re getting a lot better at working as a team,” Chie said, punching the air triumphantly. “We’re coordinating our attacks better and everything. Now we need to work on some cool combo attacks!”

“This isn’t Featherman,” Yosuke grumbled, but he was smiling too. “You did good, Teddie. Just… tone down the enthusiasm a little. You’re gonna ice a teammate if you don’t learn to watch the target a little better.”

Teddie insisted he was only going to improve from there, which Yu was certain would be the truth. They were all improving, slowly and steadily, able to clear more areas at a time and go farther without tiring. Which was turning out to be a blessing, because the dungeons were getting more complex. Yu didn’t want to imagine what they would be like if this carried on much longer.

The team packed up and prepared to head home, but Yu hung back.

“You guys go on ahead. I want to duck into the Velvet Room for a second and see if Margaret’s there. I have a question.”

“You sure? Wouldn’t the door outside be...well, safer than being here alone?” Yosuke asked, but Yu shook his head.

“I’ll be fine.” And it was proof of how much they trusted their leader, that they accepted that answer at face value and left through the TV without complaint. But Yu didn’t go to the Velvet Room. Instead he took a different walkway, familiar only by nostalgia. They’d walked the path to the castle and the bathhouse many times, going in and out to look for new items or practice spells. But they had only taken this path once, in the very beginning, and Yu was still curious.

The apartment was still there, with torn-up walls and shredded posters, and the noose hanging from the ceiling. And the oppressive feeling lingered. Yu was certain that Yamano Mayumi had died here, not even necessarily from an attack by her shadow. The shadow might have influenced her into doing it herself. But he was more interested in the translucent, shadowy figure still standing by the broken window. It had been there the first time they had come here, too, and Yu was careful to keep his distance this time, lest it disappear again.

“Who _are_ you?” he asked it, a mostly rhetorical question. “Not Yamano-san… Are you the murderer?”

The spectre turned to look at him, offering Yu a glimpse of bright yellow shadow-eyes, before vanishing. It didn’t have any distinct features, and Yu sighed with disappointment. So much for this being an overlooked clue. They still didn’t know what tied the victims together, and the thread was getting harder to follow the more victims there were. There couldn’t possibly be one thing they all had in common, right?

He left the television world feeling slightly more dejected than he had been. Without any clues, at this point all they could do was keep an eye on the Midnight Channel and pray that no one else was targeted. It would have to be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve realized I don’t really ship Yu with anyone. All of his friends are that: a big pile of friends, including Marie. I sort of ship him with Minato but that’s entirely based on Ryoji not being around because the OTP overrides minor ships. And while I’m open to OT3 I don’t think that’s where I’m going with this. XDDD
> 
> Also I’m laughing: I got up the other day to THREE messages defending Sojiro. Okay, okay, Cafe Dude’s going to get better, I get it. XDDD Currently I’m less annoyed with him and more annoyed with having to go to bed all the time. Real-life me is a night owl, so damn it, Akira, you can’t manage to make tools without immediately falling asleep after? The palace continues to be fun, though, and I am in LOVE with Shibuya. It looks pretty much like I remember it. :D


	12. July 24th, 2011

The tone of the little table at Junes was somber. No one could bring themselves to eat, too caught up in wondering what had gone wrong. Exams were done, but summer break was going to be off to a rough start, at this rate.

“I can’t believe Moroki-- I mean, Mr. Morooka, is dead,” Chie said at last. “How did this happen?”

Even Minato and Ryoji, who didn’t know the teacher but had come when Yu called, were quiet. “From the way you’ve talked about him, there were plenty of people who didn’t like him. The murderer could have been one,” Minato said. Even he wasn’t eating, staring at his cup of fries with a melancholy expression. Someone else was dead. They had been doing so well, but someone else was dead, and he _hated_ it. Being a mean teacher wasn’t deserving of death as punishment.

“Where do we even start with this one?” Yosuke groaned. “It’s just another person in a pattern we’re not seeing. What does Morokin have to do with Rise or Kanji, or Yamano-san?”

Teddie slammed his hands down on the table. “I didn’t sense _anyone_ in the TV, though!” he cried. “There’s no way someone could have gotten in there without me knowing, and the shadows weren’t agitated at all.”

They admonished him to be quieter, aware of a group of girls a few tables away giving them funny looks, but Yu frowned. “We didn’t see him on the Midnight Channel, either. If Morooka wasn’t in the TV, does that mean this is a copycat?”

Teddie got ready to say something else, but Yosuke clapped a hand over his mouth and looked at Yu. “What did you say?”

“I said, if Morooka wasn’t in the TV--”

“Okay, I heard you wrong, but he wasn’t _on_ the TV either!” Yosuke said urgently. The rest of the group stared at him, uncertain what he was getting at, and he groaned. “Everyone was on TV before they got kidnapped!”

“That’s ridiculous,” Chie began. “Saki-senpai wasn’t...no, wait, she found Yamano-san’s body, and they interviewed her. But… What about Yukiko and Kanji-kun?”

“They interviewed me about the inn, remember?” Yukiko said. “And there was that weird news report on Kanji beating up that biker gang.”

“Obviously Rise-chan was on TV, since they reported on her hiatus,” Ryoji said. “And you said Yamano-san was a newscaster?”

“So everyone who was thrown into the TV appeared on the Midnight Channel, and everyone who appeared on the Midnight Channel was shown on regular TV beforehand. All except Morooka,” Yu summarized, looking around at everyone. “That means, unless the killer changed his methods for no apparent reason, this is someone pretending to be the murderer.”

They all sunk into their thoughts, wondering why anyone would be stupid enough to copy a murderer. Or try to, anyway. That meant there were _two_ people that needed to be caught now. If anyone had told them they’d be working to avenge _Morooka’s_ murder on top of the others, they’d have thought it was ridiculous. But here they were.

Yu finally looked up as the sound of footsteps approached their table, and met the gaze of the Detective Prince. Shirogane Naoto, if he remembered correctly from their brief meeting during the time before Kanji was kidnapped.

“You’re all here,” Naoto said, and his eyes skimmed over Teddie, Minato, and Ryoji, the newest additions from Naoto’s perspective. Ryoji was looking back and forth between Naoto and Minato, surprised at the resemblance. But the detective just continued, “I thought you would be interested to know that the perpetrator has turned himself in and is currently being questioned. His name is Kubo Mitsuo.”

Chie gasped. “Kubo-kun?”

“You know him?”

“He tried to hit on Yukiko a few times…” Yukiko looked baffled at that, but Chie frowned and carried on, “He didn't go to our school, though, so he wouldn't have had a reason to not like Morooka…”

Yosuke looked skeptical. “He didn’t know Konishi-senpai either, did he? Or, hell, Yamano.”

Naoto raised an eyebrow. “Kubo-kun has confessed to all of the murders. The case is all-but closed. Mr. Morooka was clearly bludgeoned over the head, suggesting he was able to get close to his target this time.”

_Shadows didn’t kill him._ Everyone knew immediately, but said nothing in front of this strange boy. Naoto folded his arms, looking them over. “I don’t know how all of you are involved in this, but you need to stop. It’s already suspicious enough that all of you that disappeared for a period of time have congregated together like this, but if you keep asking around like you have been, the police may find reason to question you.”

“Is that a threat?” It came from Minato, who had finally started eating his french fries. He regarded Naoto with cool, stormy eyes, and the detective took a step back.

“O-Of course not. It’s just not the place of a bunch of high-school kids with no training. This is a police matter.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Yu said. “But you can’t be surprised that we’re speculating when a lot of us were directly involved, though. People from our school are dead.”

It was clearly a dismissal, and Naoto retreated without attempting to convince them further, but not without one last suspicious glance back. Yu sighed once he was gone, and gathered his things. “I need to get home. Nanako and I are going grocery shopping.”

With their leader on the way out, the group quickly dispersed, to homework and other things that needed doing. Soon, the only people left at the long table were Minato and Ryoji, still eating their fries as well as the full container of fries they’d stolen from Yukiko’s tray.

“Should we tell them?” Ryoji said around a mouthful of potato.

Minato raised an eyebrow. “Which part? That she’s a girl, or that she has the potential?”

Ryoji shrugged. “The second part. It could be important in the future. But I doubt just words will get them to trust her."

“Potential doesn’t guarantee that we can trust anyone.” And the Universe’s tone was cold, flat, a flicker of gold in his eyes. Remembering his own experiences, and knowing the stories he’d heard since. “You know about Strega. And Kandori. And any of the reverse persona-users.” But then he sighed, relaxing back to normal. “I’m being too harsh. Shirogane-san seems safe enough.”

“You’re scary when you get all ‘mostly’,” Ryoji said, poking him in the shoulder fondly. “Maybe don’t do that around the kids. You’ll worry them.”

“‘Kids’, as if they aren’t only two years younger than us.”

Ryoji grinned, scooting over on the table bench so he could lie down with his head in Minato’s lap. “After everything we’ve been through, we’re practically ancient, right? So, kids.”

“If you say so.” Minato stuck a fry in his boyfriend’s mouth, offering a nonchalant wave to the table of girls that was by now openly staring. They hurriedly looked back at their food and books, and the blue-haired boy cracked a tiny smile. Things would be okay. No one else was going to die.

He just had to keep telling himself that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, there are three options here:  
> 1: Individual chapters (probably 2-3) spanning summer break and part of/the aftermath of Void Quest.  
> 2: One big “summer” chapter like the “winter” chapter I did before, but probably with slightly longer scenes.  
> 3: Skip summer break entirely and run full-tilt into the school trip at the beginning of September (the least likely choice tbh).
> 
> I’d just like to hear you guys’ thoughts before I make a final decision on what I want to do.
> 
> In other news, P5 is going well. Cafe Dude taught me to make coffee and gave me keys, so we’re friends now. XD The first Palace has come down and the first trip through Mementos is done. Mementos is weird and I’m laughing forever at the justification for “catbus”. Although, Morgana said something about wanting to know what was at the center of Mementos and my first thought was “the Door?” X’’’D So that’s a thing. Also the Velvet Room is scary now. Even the music doesn’t make me feel safe. Minato would be disappointed.
> 
> I love the art museum, and seriously, fuck my cat. I went over a week not being able to do anything in the evenings. Exams and visiting an art exhibit and dropping in to see Yusuke should not make you tired enough to drop dead upon getting home. Why can’t I at least read in bed or something?


	13. July 30th, 2011

“What do you mean, someone pushed you in here?”

Mitsuo Kubo looked a lot less intimidating than his armored shadow had. He cowered at the center of the circle made by the Investigation Team, flinching away from the swords and other weapons they held even though none were pointed at him.

They’d chased him into the TV under the assumption that he was fleeing from the police, so to get all the way to the top of his weird video game dungeon and find out he was a victim too was bizarre. It wasn’t like he was completely innocent; he’d still killed Morooka. But the other murders hadn’t been him, and now clearly the real killer had tried to get to him as well. It was frustrating beyond words.

“The lights went out all of a sudden,” Mitsuo explained nervously. “I tried to find the light switch, but someone shoved me, and the next thing I knew I was here.” He gritted his teeth, slamming his fists into the ground. “But it was me! I killed them! All of them!”

“No, you didn’t!” Yosuke shouted. “You’re crying for attention like that ridiculous baby your shadow turned into! Just fess up already!”

“No, no, it was me. It was me!”

From the corner of his eyes, Yu saw Mitsuo’s shadow, just watching them, before dissipating into thin black smoke and vanishing. What did _that_ mean? If a shadow couldn’t kill its counterpart, but wasn’t accepted… Were those repressed feelings still there? Was the shadow _dead?_

What happened to someone if their shadow died?

Mitsuo started laughing, growing more and more hysterical the longer it went on, and Kanji and Yosuke finally exchanged a glance and hauled him to his feet. Teddie pulled out the goho-m, and together they all returned to the entrance.

They didn’t even have to take him to the police station themselves. He was all-too-ready to dash off and turn himself in. They caught a brief glimpse of him babbling about his guilt to the nearest officer, and then made themselves scarce. Mitsuo wasn’t the murderer, not the original murderer at least. But how could they counter his confession? No one would believe them if they said that it wasn’t him because the first two victims had been murdered by shadows inside the TV. That the culprit had to be someone who could access the television world, and Mitsuo couldn’t on his own.

“We should just show them Teddie as proof. He’s clearly not from our world,” Chie said dryly.

“I don’t think the police will appreciate the talking bear or the hyper brat versions,” Kanji sighed. “I guess it’s good he’ll get punished, but it sucks that the real murderer is out there gettin’ off scott-free!”

“He won’t,” Yu said firmly, and the rest of the group turned to look at him. “We’re not going to stop investigating, even if the police buy Kubo’s confession. The real murderer is still out there, and we’re going to find him.”

Teddie jumped up and down excitedly. “You’re right, sensei! We can’t stop now!”

“We’ll keep making sure no one dies, and we’ll catch this guy red-handed!” Rise cheered.

“We can try to enjoy summer break, though. At the very least we should celebrate getting Kubo-kun. Weren’t we going to meet up at Narukami-kun’s house to have a cook-off anyway? We can just change it to a party!” Chie said brightly.

Yu nodded. “Just let me know which day, so I can tell my uncle you’re all coming.”

They agreed to do something before the week was over, at the very least, and the separated to head home. It always took at least a whole evening to wind down from the adrenaline of a tough battle, and this one was no exception. Yu walked home feeling more and more drained, and all he really wanted to do was take a bath and collapse into bed to picture his summer vacation. He barely managed to stop for food, grabbing some yakitori from Junes on the way out.

When he got home, though, his uncle was there along with Adachi, sitting in the living room and chatting. Yu blinked, surprised to see him home when it wasn’t late in the evening, and Dojima waved.

“Hey. We finished up a bit early today, and this guy hasn’t been to visit in a while, so I brought him with me.”

Yu came over to sit at the table beside Nanako, smiling at Adachi. “How have you been?” He knew he wasn’t going to get anything of Adachi’s actual feelings while his uncle was around, but it couldn’t hurt to try.

“Oh, you know, same as always. Getting overworked by your uncle on that murder case, running around town, stuff like that,” Adachi said carelessly. Dojima frowned at him for mentioning the case in front of Nanako, but she didn’t seem to notice, tugging on Yu’s sleeve.

“Onii-chan, did you have a good day?”

Yu considered all the fighting they had done and resisted the urge to yawn. “Yeah. I got a lot done.” 

“Keeping up with your schoolwork?” Dojima asked, but he was smiling despite his serious tone.

“Of course. Exams were a cakewalk.” He smiled at Nanako and patted her on the head, completely missing the way Adachi’s own smile slipped watching the three of them interact.

They talked for a while longer, and then Yu excused himself, citing a long day out. His last thought, once he’d finally tumbled into bed, was that maybe the murderer would stop now that there was a convenient out for his crimes. If nothing else happened, Yu wasn’t sure they had enough clues to go on from just what had already occurred.

But they would keep trying. His friends had nearly died, and he wasn’t going to let that stand. Not now, not ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter for now. I was going to date this as September and do that thing they did in the anime where none of them are friends anymore, just to make you think I was skipping to the school trip, but I ended up nuking it. X’D Next chapter is like triple-length, though, and I’m going to have some bloody self-control and not post it right now even though it’s pretty much done. X’D
> 
> Playing P5 really puts it into perspective that the Investigation Team could have done some serious damage by accident if they’d gone so far as killing a shadow.
> 
> In other news, I’ve decided Yusuke isn’t actually being a pompous jerk, he’s just sheltered and gets creativity-brain that makes him super-oblivious. I can’t believe Ann managed to string him around long enough to get that door open. I can’t believe he didn’t think her wearing 90 layers of clothing was weird. Welcome to the team, doofus! And the art museum is still so much fun. Actual thieving with lasers and security systems! Jumping into paintings! Escher stairs! <3333


	14. August 20th, 2011

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter, as I make the mistake of writing about at least one person I know basically nothing about. Enjoy! X’D

Minato entered the television world alone, taking a brief look around the lobby before heading down the rarely-tread path to the apartment building. Today was festival day, which meant that everyone was distracted getting ready, and he could have a moment to himself without anyone wondering where he’d gotten to. He was sure Ryoji would come to get him eventually, since they’d agreed to play escorts, but for now, there was something he wanted to experiment with.

Yamano Mayumi’s apartment stood with the door wide open down the hall, but Minato chose to focus on one of the empty, locked apartments. Yamano-san’s dungeon hadn’t quite had time to fully develop outside of that room, and the rest of these would be ideal weak points for what he was intending to try. Alternating bufu and agi was enough to strain the lock so that he could get it open, and he stepped into the dark, quiet room and looked around.

It was bare and empty, with no furniture. It was proof of how quickly the first victims, those without potential, had died. But it would work for him.

He sat cross-legged in the center of the room, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly.

The walls rippled, and slowly the room expanded, until it resembled nothing less than a greenish replica of the Moonlight Bridge, with Minato sitting in the middle of it. 

“Figures it would be here,” he muttered. Of course his dungeon, even barely-formed, would look like the place that had nearly ruined his life two or three times. It even had that awful Dark Hour tint to it, that Minato didn’t miss but still woke up looking for sometimes.

The space wasn’t as infinite as it looked, and a lobbed lightning bolt called with zio showed him that the borders of the room were about fifty feet square. He knew he could let it get bigger, but that wasn’t the point of this exercise. Elizabeth had told him it was easier to practice in a meta space, which he could already tell from how quickly the lightning had leaped to his fingers, but he also wanted to check on his inner self.

It had been a while since he’d last spoken to his shadow. He hadn’t lied to Yu; he hadn’t fought it to awaken his persona, but he did call it up once in a while now, to self-evaluate, in a sense. A shadow Universe would be capable of unimaginable damage, after all, if it ever went out of control, so better to nip any suppressed thoughts in the bud.

Slowly, he released his grip on himself, and the air before him rippled as well, influenced by the distortion of the surrounding area. It was strange to see the golden-eyed version of himself, since he knew that it was ultimately harmless to him, but that was how inner shadows manifested in the collective unconscious, when not fully bound as personas but not completely out of control.

_“I am thou, and thou art I.”_

Minato watched him, head tilted curiously. Technically, this was Orpheus, he supposed. Just Orpheus with less of Minato’s control over him. “I am thou, and thou art I,” he acknowledged. “You’re what I don’t say. But speak, now, and I’ll hear you.”

 _“Sometimes I don’t feel like the world deserved to be saved. Why try so hard to protect them, when they just continue to cry out for Nyx?”_ his shadow asked, its expression inscrutable.

“Because there are people worth saving, still. And unfortunately, there is no way to pick and choose. Things are all or nothing.”

_“I wish that Hamuko and Shinjiro would just come to live here. I know they would have to abandon their friends, but I want my sister.”_

Apparently his inner self was going to tell him nothing that he hadn’t heard before. “True, but Hamuko has her place in her reality. It’s her decision, ultimately.”

There was silence for a moment, and Minato wondered if that was all he was going to get today, but then his shadow spoke again. _“If it came down to abandoning the Inaba kids, or losing Ryoji, I would leave them behind in a heartbeat.”_

That...was new. Minato blinked at his shadow, then bowed his head. It...wasn’t wrong, as much as he hated to say it. He would always, always put his soulmate first. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to find a way to save everyone, before it got to that point. He still didn’t want anyone to die. “Ryoji will always be the most important person in my life. I know that. And I’d do anything to protect him. But I wouldn’t let it get to the point where I had to choose.”

He reached out to his shadow, and the shadow met him halfway, linking their fingers and smiling before dissipating. Minato got to his feet, brushing off his pants and looking down the bridge. Now that that was done, time to see what he could do, without Elizabeth hovering and blatantly trying to distract him from the megido spells. Starting with his personal affinity, he picked a target and called the spell, grinning.

_“Maragidyne!”_

***

Yu really wasn’t sure why he had agreed to take Margaret to the festival with him. But she didn’t ask much of him, and she seemed truly curious to experience it. So he stopped at the Velvet Room door in the shopping district to pick her up, already nervous about how things were going to go.

But she just took his arm, seemingly content. “Thank you for this. Our work as attendants is often tiresome, and we do not get breaks often.”

She was still wearing blue, but it was a much more casual dress than her usual attire. She actually looked very nice, and Yu nodded to her. “It’s the least I can do. You’ve done so much for us; you deserve to have some fun too.”

“My siblings are rather jealous,” Margaret said with a laugh. “Fortunately I think Minato-san and Ryoji-kun are going to handle it, otherwise I might have a few issues when I get home.”

Yu raised an eyebrow. “It’s strange to think of, since I don’t have any siblings except Nanako. And you’ve got a whole roomful.”

As they walked into the festival proper, looking around at all the booths, Margaret stopped to examine the ringtoss game curiously. “I suppose it is strange to consider how much family I have. Master Igor, two sisters, a brother...I suppose Lady Belladonna and Nameless are our equivalent of parents. And if you count our former guests that visit frequently… Minato-san, Ryoji-kun, Naoya-san… And Marie, of course. They might as well be family.” She turned to Yu. “This game looks interesting.”

Yu paid for the rings, and he and Margaret took turns trying to land them on the tall glass bottles that were set up. Margaret landed _four_ , much to the booth attendant’s amazement, and she ended up with a rather large, blue stuffed bear for her trouble. “Goodness. This is quite cute.”

“You’re really good at that,” Yu pointed out. They’d had five rings each, and he’d missed them all.

Margaret kept her gaze on the bear, looking almost uncomfortable. “I am one of those who preside over power. We are trained to be precise and dexterous, among other things.”

Yu raised an eyebrow. “You don’t have fun much, do you?”

“Not like this.”

He smiled, offering his arm again. “Well, then. We should go have some more.”

***

When Ryoji found him at last, the false Moonlight Bridge was in shambles, and Minato was flat on his back in the middle of it, smiling hazily. There was a frozen hunk of concrete a few feet away, and several parts of the bridge appeared to be on fire.

“W-What did you do?” Ryoji asked, looking at the gap where a chunk of bridge was missing entirely, his eyes wide.

“Megidola,” Minato said dreamily. “I’m going to beat Elizabeth at her own game, soon.” He forced himself to sit up, facing his boyfriend. “I hope you brought a soma or something, though. I might have overdone it trying to get it to cast at the end there.”

“Even though you knew it’s festival day,” Ryoji sighed, but he pulled the items from his pockets anyway. “Take these. We’re running late, you know.”

Minato took the soma and an offered can of coffee and swallowed the medicine down quickly. “Elizabeth won’t notice, Theodore won’t complain, and Lavenza’s too excited to care.” As the soma kicked in, he climbed back to his feet, feeling reenergized. “Okay, let’s go. We can handle them, between the two of us, right?”

“I really hope so, but we promised Margaret either way.” Ryoji hesitated, looking around at the bridge. “Why did you come here? Why not just talk in the Velvet Room, or the Sea?”

“I was curious about how the dungeons are formed,” Minato explained. “And the possibility that they could take on different purposes depending on the person. A prison can be a fortress, to a certain kind of heart. A dungeon perceived as a palace. We’ve seen dungeons built to house a shadow that torments their counterpart in reality. I can only guess dungeons may exist for those who believe that their shadow is the real one, and their public face is only a mask they wear.” A smile crossed his face. “And then there’s me.”

“And then there’s you, hanging out with your inner thoughts like it isn’t a big deal at all,” Ryoji concluded with a chuckle. “By the way, I keep telling you: spending too much time with the Blue Squad. You’re getting very poetic.”

“Margaret’s getting me a matching jacket. I start Monday.”

“Oh my god, Minato.” Ryoji rolled his eyes, grabbing for his hand and towing him towards the exit. “Please tell me you warned them to change clothes at least before the festival.”

Minato shrugged as best he could while being dragged. “I did. Doesn’t mean they’ll listen.”

But when they entered the Velvet Room, they were pleasantly surprised. The three remaining siblings had managed to put on something actually close to everyday wear. Theodore was wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt, Elizabeth was wearing a pink sundress, and Lavenza was practically bouncing up and down in a frilly blue dress that wasn’t _terribly_ different from her usual outfit, but it was enough. Marie hung back in the background, trying not to seem too eager to visit the festival, and failing.

Minato stared at Elizabeth, wondering why the sight of her in pink was bothering him so much, but he was distracted as Lavenza crashed into both him and Ryoji, throwing her arms around them and looking up at them adoringly. “We’re going now, right?”

Lavenza was living proof that the denizens of the Velvet Room could grow and change. They’d been watching her for two years, now, and the shy girl that had sat at their bedside in the aftermath of the Seal had opened up into a bright, happy kid once she got to know them. They couldn’t even begin to imagine what she’d be like in two more years, but for now she seemed to take after Margaret moreso than Elizabeth.

...thank goodness for small miracles.

“Yeah,” Ryoji said brightly, catching her hand and twirling her. “The festival should be in full swing by now. Let’s go see if we can find our friends.”

And so, with Minato keeping a solid hold on Elizabeth and making sure Marie was following, and Theodore and Ryoji holding Lavenza’s hands, they ventured out of the Velvet Room, ready for whatever the festivities could throw at them.

***

Yu felt like he’d learned a lot about Margaret in the time they’d been wandering the festival. She really loved her siblings, despite her occasional exasperation at Elizabeth and Theodore. She enjoyed being an attendant and getting to interact with the guests. She had a voracious sweet-tooth, and Yu was pretty sure getting her cotton candy had made her evening. She had a knack for awful puns.

And she was proud of him. So proud of him that he could hardly bear how approving she was.

“You have taken to your bonds so well,” Margaret was saying. They’d just come from a booth where you could try on silly hats and take pictures; Yu had a _lot_ of blackmail on his phone now. “Elizabeth said that getting Minato-san to make friends was like pulling teeth at times, but you have so many connections. Even with me.”

“I got tired of being lonely,” Yu said. “This...is the longest I’m going to be in a place in a long time. Usually I’m lucky to get past six months.” He still tried not to begrudge his parents for moving them around so much. At least they were home enough that he still felt like he had parents. “And you said these bonds are strong. They won’t be like those other people, who just forgot about me.”

Margaret shook her head. “These are true bonds. Lasting bonds. And I for one know that when your journey has concluded, you will always be welcome in the Velvet Room, just as Minato-san and Ryoji-kun are.”

That was more comforting than Yu was willing to admit. If everything fell down around him, at least he would still have them, and his fellow Wild Card.

“Speaking of…” Margaret continued, pointing, “I believe we have found the others.”

Yu stared openly. They’d been heading towards the outskirts of the festival, half-looking for a good spot to view the fireworks, and there were his friends, as if they’d been waiting for him. And not just his friends, but Dojima and Nanako, and Marie, and the rest of the Velvet siblings too.

Dojima waved when he spotted them, and Nanako broke off her conversation with Lavenza (at least, that was who Yu assumed it was, by process of elimination) to run up and grab his hands.

“Hi, onii-chan! Are you here for the fireworks?” she asked. “I know you’re on a date, but come watch with us!”

“Who told you I was on a date?” Yu asked, eyes going a bit wide.

“Ryo-kun,” Nanako chirped, and Yu almost frowned at the other boy, but had the good sense to realize that death glares probably wouldn’t work on Death.

Instead, he and Margaret walked with her back towards the others, and he asked, “Did you have a good time tonight?”

Nanako beamed at him. “Yep! Dad and I did the water gun game, and I almost won a goldfish, and we got takoyaki and macarons!” She swung his hand excitedly. “And Mina-kun’s cousins are a little weird, but Lavenza-chan’s really nice. I was telling her about Magical Detective Loveline!”

“That’s great…” Yu said, wilting a bit as he realized Nanako had called Margaret’s whole family weird right in front of her. But Margaret didn’t seem fazed, also smiling at the little girl.

“Your big brother was just showing me around the festival, since I’ve never been to one before,” she explained, and Nanako looked surprised.

“You’ve never been to a festival?! I’m glad onii-chan showed you around, then. Festivals are a lot of fun!” she said. “But the fireworks are the best part!”

They really had found an ideal spot to watch from, up on a small hill. Dojima clapped Yu on the back when they reached the group. “You hadn’t introduced me to these other friends of yours yet. They seem like good kids.”

Yu wondered how they had all managed to not be weird in front of his uncle, and thanked his lucky stars. He found a seat on the grass beside Marie, who elbowed him playfully and teased, “Enjoy your date with Margaret?”

“Not you too,” he groaned. “But it really wasn’t bad. Margaret’s fine when you get to know her.” He pointed, and Marie followed his gaze to where Margaret was showing Lavenza her new stuffed bear. “She cares about all of you a lot. Even you, Marie.”

Marie turned away. “Oh, shut up. I know that.” But she leaned into him, just a little, and Yu smiled.

As the fireworks got ready to start, Nanako came over to sit against his other side, and somehow everyone ended up crowding around him in a big pile, much to the amusement of Dojima, who watched them all from a safe distance. As the fireworks began to burst overhead, bathing them all in a hundred glittering colors, Yu looked around at his friends, his family, everything he hadn’t expected to find in Inaba, and swallowed the lump in his throat.

He really couldn’t ask for more than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Empress Arcana, rank up! Next chapter, we go on a trip. :P
> 
> I’m just gonna handwave away anything weird about what Minato’s doing with “he’s the Universe”. I s2g half the stuff I do is just because I had a cool mental image, and I just worry about justifying it later. X’D And god help me if Lavenza’s personality ends up being completely different from this when I get to her in-game. I tried. Although, she’d be older there, so who knows. 
> 
> (don’t tell me anything, I don’t want to know, all of you hush X’D)
> 
> The second palace has come down, we’re no longer in danger of being sued, and all is good. I’m happy as a clam because I got to steal the treasure from the ceiling like an actual art thief. <3 Now we just have to deal with whatsherface the student council president _following me around the city like a weirdo._ And that pretty-boy detective wearing a sweatervest in freakin’ June, even though he hasn’t come near me yet. X’D


	15. September 8th, 2011

The streets of Iwatodai were eerie in the darkness. Street lamps seemed just a little too dim as they walked down mostly-empty roads, especially after the garish lights that had presided over Shirakawa Boulevard. The Investigation Team decided to attribute the eerie feeling to their unfamiliarity with the surroundings, but all of them had a sort of itch that something was here, or something had happened here.

They were on a school trip, some sort of three-day cultural exchange program that allowed students from a rural school to meet up with students at a private school in the city. Gekkoukan had been _massive_ in comparison to Yasogami, with much nicer facilities, and it was overwhelming to imagine that these kids got to go to school in a place like this every day.

But now night had fallen, and they were _supposed_ to be settling in at their hotel. Instead, they were following their teacher, who hadn’t even noticed Teddie adding himself to their group, too caught up in her own irritated mumbling.

“Who just destroys two hotel rooms on a whim?” she complained, leading the trail of teenagers like a string of ducklings. “If they hadn’t called in a favor for us, we’d be out of luck right now.”

The rooms they’d been meant to stay in had been discovered in a wreck. Torn bedding, spilled water, all the faucets left running to flood the bathrooms… The hotel staff had been completely apologetic, but all the other hotels in the area were full. It was by a miracle that Gekkoukan’s student council president, a young woman named Fushimi Chihiro, had found somewhere for them on such short notice.

The Investigation Team, for their part, wasn’t too upset. Rise had told them that their “hotel” was a refurbished love hotel, and everyone was secretly grateful not to have to deal with staying in a place like that.

The building they arrived at was four stories of formal architecture and gloomy-looking windows. There wasn’t a single light on in any room they could see, except for the lobby. It gave the whole place a vaguely creepy air. But Ms. Kashigawa just herded them all up the stairs and through the front door, regardless of their misgivings, and called out, “I’ve brought the students from Yasogami who needed a place to stay.”

“Welcome,” a familiar voice said, and the team looked over and spotted Minato leaning against the front desk, a smile quirking his lips.

Before any of them could say or do anything more than gape at him in shock, Ms. Kashiwagi nodded to him. “Arisato-kun, thank you for allowing them to stay on such short notice. If the other hotels weren’t full…”

“It’s no trouble. There’s plenty of space here, and Kirijo-san doesn’t mind.” Minato gestured to the folder on the desk. “Just sign in, and I’ll show you to your rooms.”

Ms. Kashiwagi turned a stern eye on all of them. “I expect impeccable behavior, and for you to be prepared and on time in the morning. Arisato-kun is doing us quite a favor here.”

They all nodded in understanding, and their teacher gave them one last look before turning and leaving. One at a time, they signed the book as Minato had instructed, making sure that she was gone before clustering around the blue-haired boy.

“Minato-senpai, what’s going on?” Rise asked, speaking everyone’s mind.

Minato smirked faintly, and Yu shook his head. “...you did this on purpose, didn’t you? You ruined the other hotel rooms so we would have to stay here. This is where you live.” Minato had never mentioned specifically where he was from. What were the chances that their school trip happened to be to his hometown? Yu couldn’t help but be amused. At least this got them out of an awkward night on Shirakawa Boulevard.

“Did you really want to stay in a former love hotel?” Minato countered wryly. “I’m insulted that you would imply I’d do something like that, though...alone, at least. Ryoji helped. And I knew Chihiro would call me if she needed anything like this.” He beckoned them to follow, pointing things out as they walked. “The kitchen is back there, past the living room and dining room. There’s snacks, and drinks in the fridge. Ryoji’s and my room is upstairs, just past Ken’s room, first and second doors on the left on the second floor. He shares with Koromaru. Any of the other bedrooms are fair game, so just pick whichever you want.”

They walked past a startlingly familiar blue door, and Yu did a doubletake. Minato didn’t even turn around, just added, “Yes, that’s here too. Elizabeth and I moved it from Paulownia Mall. It’s easier, and she comes over and has takoyaki sometimes.” He gestured to the stairs. “There’s a second, third, and fourth floor. Take your pick. Ryoji’s coming back with groceries in a bit, and Ken-kun should be home soon.”

Minato was clearly much more talkative on his home turf. It was kind of endearing. The Investigation Team hauled their bags upstairs, looking around curiously. The rooms were plain singles, and there wasn’t much to debate in terms of who would stay where, so choosing went quickly. Afterwards, they returned downstairs, gathering in the living room with their surprise host.

“So, uh, how come you live in a hotel?” Kanji asked bluntly. “That seems kinda weird.”

Minato raised an eyebrow, finding a space on the couch between Yu and Rise. “Well, it’s not a hotel, for one thing. It’s one of Gekkoukan’s dorms. Or, rather, it was. Mitsuru-senpai bought it back from the school the year I graduated.”

Chie scoffed. “She _bought_ a dorm? Why?”

“She said it was so the Shadow Operatives could have a viable base in Iwatodai. Plus, there’s some pretty sophisticated tech that we’d’ve had to move if all of S.E.E.S. was gone.” Minato shrugged. “I think she was also being sentimental, though. This is home. And since Ryoji and I were planning to stay in Iwatodai, she’s paying us to live here and look after the building.” He looked around at them all. “Speaking of which, the hotel will be receiving full compensation for anything we ruined in our bid to get you here, so don’t feel guilty about that.”

Yukiko looked around the room for a moment, then asked, “If you live here, is that why it feels so weird?” she said, oblivious to how that sounded.

“You can tell?” Minato asked, looking a bit surprised, and the group nodded. “I suppose it is. This is where all of us lived, and this city is where Tartarus manifested and Nyx attempted to descend. Other persona-users must be sensitive to that.”

They heard the front door open, and he glanced at the clock. “Ah, right on time.”

A white dog bounded into the room, skidding to a halt at the sight of all of them sitting around. He barked, loudly, and began sniffing all of their feet in turn, looking up at each of them in between as if trying to match a face to a scent. Kanji made a delighted noise and tried to pet him, but the dog dodged expertly and kept going until he got to Teddie, where he took one sniff and promptly started barking furiously.

“W-What did I do?!” Teddie cried, pulling his feet up onto the sofa.

“Come here, Koromaru, leave Teddie alone,” Minato called, and the dog looked around at the group one last time before hopping up to sit beside him. He gave a short, barking whine, and Minato patted him on the head. “I know. It’s fine, they’re friends. They’re like us.”

Yosuke elbowed Chie. “I thought Koromaru was this Ken-kun’s roommate or something. Not a pet.”

Koromaru barked again. Minato smiled. “I know. It’s fine, I promise. No worries.”

There was another voice from the doorway, as a brown-haired boy walked in. “Minato-senpai, there’s a ton of shoes in the front coat rack…” He trailed off when he saw the whole group sitting in the living room, and almost immediately dipped his head respectfully. “Sorry! I didn’t realize we were expecting anyone. I’m Amada Ken.”

“I forgot to tell you they were coming, sorry,” Minato said. The Investigation Team each introduced themselves to the younger boy, and then Minato explained, “Ken-kun was the youngest member of S.E.E.S., and is a current reserve member of the Shadow Operatives. He’s living here while he finishes school.”

“He doesn’t look that young,” Chie commented. “I sort of figured he was our age.”

Ken shook his head. “Nope. I’m thirteen. I just have special privileges to live here.”

Chie and Rise openly gaped. “He’s only _thirteen?_ ” They sounded completely scandalized, and Yukiko burst out laughing at the dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

Thankfully, they were saved from putting their feet in their mouths even further by the sound of the front door opening once again. “I’m back!” Ryoji called, walking through with his arms laden with shopping bags. He disappeared into the kitchen, yelling back in the group’s direction, “Minato’s making tempura and udon; come pick out what you guys want!”

The girls volunteered to help with dinner, but Minato successfully waved them off with “you’re guests, it would be impolite to make you cook”, well-aware of their skills in advance. Instead he just had them pick out what they wanted fried in the tempura batter, and then sent them back off to the living room to hang out with Ryoji. The only person to hang back was Yu, making small talk with Minato and Ken as they bustled around the kitchen.

When the tempura was frying and the noodles were cooking, Minato went to poke around the fridge. “Did Ryoji remember to fill the ice trays? We need enough for everyone’s drinks.”

“I don’t know,” Ken said over his shoulder, setting aside some extra chicken for Koromaru. “I don’t think he mentioned it.”

“There’s only one tray in here. Damn it.” Minato rummaged around in a cabinet for a few more ice trays. Yu watched curiously as he set about filling them at the sink, wondering how they expected ice cubes to freeze in the next ten minutes. But his eyes went wide as Minato just set the trays on the counter and gestured. _“Bufu.”_

Yu’s mouth dropped open as the water froze instantly. Minato scooped up the trays and stuffed them in the freezer, and caught sight of Yu’s expression when he turned back to the stove. “...oops.”

“Y-You…” He didn’t even know what to say. He hadn’t even known that was possible. Was that _normal?_ Ken wasn’t reacting at all, which made Yu think this was a normal thing in this place, but if that was the case, was it something everyone could do? Or was it a Minato thing, since he was special?

Minato glanced aside. “...I’ll explain later, Yu-kun. Sorry. Please forget that for now.” He turned back to the pot of udon noodles, and Yu leaned against the wall. Magic. In the real world. What an incredible concept.

***

It was after everyone had gone to bed that Yu came back downstairs, finding Minato sitting alone in the living room. The blue-haired boy didn’t move until Yu sat down on the opposite end of the couch, and then he looked up with a small smile. “You want an explanation, I guess.”

“Is that just you?” Yu asked. “Or is that something we all could do?”

Minato shook his head. “It’s my arcana. Even the Velvet attendants need personas to do their spells.” He sank into the couch, watching Yu with tired eyes. “I don’t do anything above a base spell in normal space. It’s too dangerous. Some spell lines, I won’t cast in normal space at all.”

Yu frowned. “Dangerous? I would think a lot of them would be useful.” His imagination was already humming away at the possibilities. Mundane things like ice cubes, yes, but also walking on water. Gliding with wind. Calling a storm, even.

“You’ve never seen frei,” Minato said dryly. “Or eiha. Or almost burnt your friend to a crisp.” He shook his head, not scolding, just matter of fact as he continued, “They’re harder to control outside of meta space. Reality isn’t usually meant to accommodate mental magic. You’ve reached the dyne-level spells, right? Imagine losing control of a ziodyne lightning storm. There could be a ridiculous amount of collateral damage. Or something like marin karin, used on people in reality.”

“...I suppose that’s true,” Yu acknowledged, though he looked a bit disappointed.

Minato shrugged. “Healing is the only exception. I might not be able to cast megido on someone on the street, but diarahan when no one is paying attention could save a life.”

Yu hesitated. “...what about recarm?”

“I can’t revive the dead,” Minato said, and there was an edge to his voice. “And I’ve never tried it in normal space.”

Sensing that wasn’t a topic Minato wanted to go into, Yu left it alone. Instead, he considered everything he had been told. “You don’t want anyone else to know about this?”

“My friends in the Shadow Operatives know, and the Velvet attendants. And I trust you to know, as a fellow Wild Card. But I would prefer not to tell your other friends for now.”

“All right.” Yu yawned. He really didn’t want to have to get up for another workshop tomorrow. It was hardly different from going to school back home, at its core. But supposedly they were getting the afternoon off to do as they wished, so that would be entertaining, at the very least. “Do you think we could bribe you into showing us around tomorrow?”

“Maybe. Or maybe I should just let you all get lost,” Minato said, clearly teasing. “We should get to bed, though, or your teacher will chew you out for being late.”

Yu nodded, bidding him goodnight and heading back up to his room. There was a familiar feeling, like a hum in his chest, that he’d learned to associate with his bonds growing stronger. But Minato and Ryoji had no arcana card. He’d asked Margaret a few times, and they didn’t appear in the compendium, and didn’t seem to affect his personas. Margaret had brushed him off every time he’d asked why that might be, but he was starting to realize that it didn’t matter. The bond was there, card or not, and it was just as important as any of his others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wiki claims Ken is 5’1” at this point in the timeline but have you seen that kid’s Ultimax art??? jfc 
> 
> And Minato is trying to be the responsible mentor here about his powers. No you can’t just go around flinging elemental magic everywhere. That’s how you set the backyard on fire. But Yu just wants to freeze a walkway across a lake.
> 
> We're robbing a bank in P5 and I’m super pumped, except for the fact that it wouldn't let me jump off the walkway to paddle around in the piles of money. Or steal any of it. And I like Makoto, now, and I feel really bad for her.
> 
> But I have also fallen straight into hell because I have finally met Akechi and fuck it all but I like him. X’D And I ship it. And he keeps coming to talk to Akira while we wait for the train and you can’t date him. :( It’s L and Light all over again and there’s no way this doesn’t end badly because he’s clearly the one who ratted us out in the opening, but I can sit here in blissful ignorance and pretend it was all a big misunderstanding and he’ll be good again for the ending. Yeah. That.


	16. September 9th, 2011

As it turned out, there wasn’t a lot to do in Iwatodai.

“This is a pretty quiet city, ever since we dealt with Tartarus and Apathy Syndrome,” Minato said, vaguely apologetically, as they sat around a table in Paulownia Mall with drinks. They had come from visiting the shore, poking along the small beaches that inevitably surrounded an island, but it wasn’t anything like the more luxurious beaches of Yakushima. And it was too cold to go in the water, unfortunately.

“It’s actually nice,” Yukiko said. “Getting the experience of a city without it being too overwhelming.”

“Yeah, we did come from the middle of nowhere, remember,” Kanji chimed in.

Ryoji tossed an arm around Chie, grinning. “Well, karaoke’s probably out, but we could go to Club Escapade, at least. It’d be fun! What do you guys think?”

“What’s wrong with karaoke?” Yosuke asked, and Minato made a face.

“If you guys wanted to, that’s fine, but I’ll pass,” he said.

Yosuke looked absolutely prepared to pry, but Rise perked up before he could and said, “Oh, I remember Club Escapade! I was supposed to do a top secret show there the year before last, but there was a power outage and it got cancelled.”

Minato shrugged. “I think that was us.”

“Huh?”

“One of the full moon shadows had gotten into the wiring. It was our sixth mission, and it was some sort of bug-like thing eating up the electricity.”

The Investigation Team all stared at him for a long moment, and Yosuke finally sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You know, dude, no matter how many times you mention the Dark Hour, the idea of shadows just running around the real world is so _weird._ ”

Minato hummed thoughtfully. “I guess it wasn’t weird for me because I grew up with it. Ryoji was always there with me, so it was fine.”

“Geeze, no wonder you’re so much better at this whole persona thing than the rest of us.” But Yosuke grinned. “Let’s do Club Escapade then! It sounds like fun!”

“I bet I can get us a private room,” Rise said. “Since they know me and all.” She winked at the group, and led the way as they headed up to the club on the mall’s second floor.

They got in with no problems, got a room all to themselves, and even picked up the little detective prince along the way when the girls felt bad about him sitting at the bar alone. And things were undeniably fun, but not in the way any of them had been expecting.

“Six has to...tell a secret about themselves,” Chie declared, brandishing the chopstick that made her ‘king’.

Yu took a drink, the epitome of casual. “I wasn’t really listening to the workshop this morning. I was trying to get my glass of water to freeze with my mind.”

Half the group burst into hysterical giggles, and Minato buried his face in his hands. Somehow, the group had gone through multiple trays of drinks, and now most of them were a giggling, slurred mess playing the most ridiculous game Minato had ever participated in. Nothing about this made sense for several reasons, but he was definitely getting a lot of use out of the video recording app on his phone. Yu, at some point, had unbuttoned his shirt, none of the girls were wearing shoes, and Kanji’s normally slicked-back hair was approaching something that could definitely be called disarray. Minato had gotten very good at concealing the camera with hunched posture and sleights of hand, something Ryoji really needed to learn.

“Ryoji-senpaiiiiii, what are you doing?” Rise whined, leaning over to try to see Ryoji’s phone.

He quickly pulled it away. “Texting a friend of mine. She’s asking how the chaperoning is going. I said perfectly, of course!” Which was a blatant lie. He was taking pictures of them laughing their heads off and doing ridiculous dares. Speaking of which, there was a new king.

“Two has to...sit on my lap,” Yu declared, apparently thinking that there were enough girls to make such a gamble worthwhile. He was wrong.

“I guess that’s me, then,” Ryoji said brightly, tucking his phone away and hopping to his feet. Minato smothered a laugh, making sure the recording was still going.

“Dude, no, that’s gay! You can back out, you know?” Yosuke objected.

“But he is gay, Yosuke,” Yukiko said, barely able to get the words out with how hard she was laughing.

Yosuke looked baffled, and Ryoji draped himself dramatically across Yu’s lap. Chie snorted. “Are you really the only one that hasn’t noticed?”

“Noticed what?”

“He and Minato-senpaiiiii are a couple~” Rise drawled, cheeks flushed with excitement. “So I don’t have to worry about him stealing Yu-senpai~”

As Yosuke about fell off the couch in shock, and Yu defiantly took another drink, Teddie began to gather up the chopsticks again. Naoto shifted over to sit beside Minato, glancing at his phone and raising an eyebrow. “They do know that none of these drinks contain alcohol, right?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Minato said. “Ryoji knows; he’s just having too much fun.”

“Aren’t you acting as their chaperone?”

“Only if they’re in actual danger,” Minato said bluntly, and Naoto just stared at him in disbelief. “Relax, Detective- _chan_. Nothing to worry about.” 

He smiled, and Naoto’s disbelieving expression deepened to include a hint of fear. “I...suppose not.”

“I mean it. We’re good at keeping secrets.” And he turned to look Naoto right in the eyes. “Nothing leaves this room, unless I need to blackmail Yu-kun into buying me a beef bowl. And then I’ve got this.” He gestured to his phone, which was now recording Rise attempting to push Ryoji off of Yu’s lap. When his boyfriend finally admitted defeat and crawled back over to them, Minato patted him on the head. “You tried.”

“She’s strong!” Ryoji exclaimed. But his enthusiasm was undaunted, and as the fist full of chopsticks was offered to them, he was the first to draw, followed by a reluctant Minato and Naoto. He also snapped a picture of Yu, who now had all three girls perched on his lap, somehow.

The tiny crown appeared on Naoto’s chopstick, and the detective nodded. “Very well then. This is for everyone present. One question of my choosing.”

Everyone perked up, interested, and Naoto said, “How are all of you connected to those strange murders back in Inaba?”

Silence filled the room, as all of them considered how to answer that. Just as Yosuke and Kanji started to object to the seriousness of the question, Yukiko blurted, “We go into the TV to save people that got kidnapped!”

Everyone stared at her with a range of horrified expressions, but Naoto just frowned. “I did want a real answer. The king’s orders are absolute, are they not?”

“That is a real answer!” Rise said loudly. “We fight the shadow-people with our personas!” She and Yukiko started trying to call their personas right there, and Minato was silently grateful that his ability was unique among them.

Naoto glanced at Yu, expecting a better answer, but he just shrugged. “Fighting shadows is cool.”

“You are all impossible,” Naoto huffed, flopping back into the couch. “These drinks aren’t even alcoholic!”

Yosuke and Kanji looked at each other, then at their giggly, seemingly-inebriated companions, and matching expressions of dismay crossed their faces. Yosuke sighed so deeply he might as well have deflated, and muttered, “Someone just shoot me.”

Somehow, in the end, they managed to get everyone back to the dorm safely, and Ryoji walked Naoto back to the other hotel, apologizing if they had made her uncomfortable. The Yasogami kids were leaving for home in the morning, and it could only be hoped that they would sleep off their not-hangovers and be awake on time. Minato and Ryoji could make a trip through the Velvet Room if they had to. The others couldn’t, if they happened to miss the train.

After getting home, even though he should have gone to bed, Ryoji found himself in the kitchen, staring at the photo on the wall that they’d all taken on graduation day that year. It was interesting having a dorm full of persona-users once again. It made him miss the others, semi-scattered as they were. Before he could think better of it, he pulled out his phone, sending off a group text.

> _[Ryoji - 12:06am] Missing you guys. Hope you’re all doing well._

It was only a minute or so before he got a response, and he smiled.

> _[Junpei - 12:07am] Dude, it’s past midnight. I miss you too, but why are you even awake? Go to sleep, idiot._
> 
> _[Yukari - 12:09am] Everything is good here. I miss you guys a lot. We should all get together for Christmas this year._
> 
> _[Fuuka - 12:11am] That sounds nice, but why are we talking about this so late?_
> 
> _[Junpei -12:11am] Because Ryoji’s being weird and feelsy again. Seriously. ^_^;;;;_
> 
> _[Aigis - 12:12am] Ryoji-san is not usually ‘feelsy’ this late, though._
> 
> _[Mitsuru - 12:15am] Honestly, it’s like I never left the dorm. All of you, go to bed. Now._
> 
> _[Ryoji - 12:16] Yes, ma’am._
> 
> _[Mitsuru - 12:16] And Mochizuki? Give our love to Arisato, as well._

Ryoji bit his lip, feeling like his face could split in two from the force of his smile. 

> _[Ryoji - 12:17] I will._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The King’s Game might be the single most ridiculous thing I have ever seen in a game/anime. Both subbed and dubbed. It’s incredible. Best use of Mass Destruction ever. Minato and Ryoji now have enough combined blackmail to level a small continent. XDDD
> 
> The bank has fallen, and gosh I love all my kids so much. Also, screw Mishima. I get that he’s got self-esteem issues, but he’s fucking with things he doesn’t understand, and I’m disappointed that I didn’t get the opportunity to kick his shadow’s ass.
> 
> Everybody seems to be pretty thrilled that I like Akechi, so I’m going to assume no one is going to have an objection to that ship on the (distant) day that I reach Hours!P5? Because I’m not seeing an escape from the Hell Train (as Ayana called it, thanks XDD) anytime soon. :P


	17. September 28th, 2011

They had underestimated the Detective Prince, honestly. After making complete and utter fools of themselves at Club Escapade, they had been convinced that Naoto would never take them seriously ever again. But the young detective had done the opposite, clearly thinking things over until a case could be laid out on the table.

Naoto had suspected them at first, and had told them as much. But as new information had presented itself, the detective’s opinion of them had shifted, and the current working theory was that the group had some sort of power that was allowing them to help the victims, with each victim they saved becoming a new ally.

Which was honestly so on-the-nose that they hadn’t really known how to respond. But then Naoto had accused them of treating everything like a game, and they had immediately closed ranks again.

But then the idiot had gone and gotten thrown into the TV, _on purpose,_ and weeks later here they were, struggling to the very top of the “Secret Laboratory” to rescue _her._

“I still can’t believe Naoto’s a girl,” Yosuke said, hacking at another shadow. They’d tripped yet another one of the copious traps that filled the dungeon, and had gotten swarmed. The place was built like a supervillain’s lair from a kids’ cartoon, and it was surprisingly quite the pain in the ass to navigate. They’d lost count of how many times the floor had dropped out from under them.

“It explains a few things,” Chie said. “Like why she’s so short compared to all the boys.”

Kanji huffed. “I had a feeling. There was no way she could be a boy. It was obvious.”

“You’re just relieved because you had a crush on her!” Teddie said, poking him in the shoulder.

Kanji just glared at the bear. “You shut up!” he said loudly, willing away the flush on his face. “She’s obviously got a lot to deal with, bein’ uncertain about her identity and stuff. I just feel bad for her, is all.”

They fought their way down the final hallway, which was lined with screens broadcasting Naoto’s struggle against her shadow. Naoto had been fine when they’d seen similar feeds on lower floors, seeming outright bored with the shadow’s childish nature. But eventually it had worn her down and gotten under her skin, and finally overpowered her. It was clearly physically stronger, despite clearly being a shorter, younger version of her, because it had forced her back onto a lab table, where her arms and legs had been strapped down.

_“No one will take us seriously like this!”_ the shadow taunted. _“Too small, too young, completely wrong to be a detective…! This is what you want, right? All we have to do is change ourselves, and we can be better! Otherwise they’ll just see you as a child forever!”_

“N-No… I don’t…” Naoto was clearly trying to put on a brave face, but there was a definite note of panic in how she pulled at her restraints. “That’s not what I think at all!”

The shadow grinned unnaturally wide, brandishing surgical tools in each hand. _“That’s right, just keep denying it. It doesn’t matter anyway; I’m you, in the end, no matter what! And all you’re good for is your brain. They’ll just keep using us, and then tossing us back in the playpen when they’re done!”_

“Naoto-kun!” Chie yelled at the screen. “Don’t listen to it! It’s trying to provoke you!”

But Kanji put a hand on her shoulder, watching surprisingly calmly. “She can’t hear you,” he said. “But...don’t. She needs to confront it.”

“What?”

Kanji looked down at her, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. “I know what she’s going through. If she’s anything like me, confrontin’ her shadow will help her come to terms with all the shit festering inside her. That’s how it was for you guys, right? Otherwise she’ll just keep suffering in silence. We just have to get in there and make sure it doesn’t kill her first.”

On the screen, Naoto screamed a final defiance at the shadow, and it laughed and began to change. Yu waved the rest of the Investigation Team to follow, calling, “Too late to debate it now. Come on!”

They charged into the final room of the lab, where the shadow had morphed into some sort of humanoid cyborg monster. Kanji set to work trying to free Naoto from her restraints, while the rest of the team went after the shadow. The cuffs had looked like metal from a distance, but they turned out to be very thick straps, and he tugged at where they were bolted to the table, trying to get them to rip.

“Hey,” Naoto said hazily. “This is a bad dream, right?”

“‘Fraid not,” Kanji said. “You’ve been stuck here almost three weeks. We’ve been trying to get to you, but you made this dungeon pretty hard.”

“Three weeks…?” Naoto muttered, clearly finding it hard to believe. But she actually smiled faintly. “You…weren’t lying. About the TV. About personas.” Her gaze drifted behind him, to where the others were fighting her shadow. “It’s so unbelievable.”

“I didn’t really believe it at first either, but… well, we’re inside a TV. Hard to deny that.” The strap around Naoto’s wrist gave way, and he circled the table to start on the other.

“Yeah…”

The air crackled with electricity, and Kanji looked up. “Take-Mikazuchi!” His persona appeared, just in time to shield them from the rain of lightning that fell all around them. He hadn’t even flinched, and Naoto stared at him in barely-suppressed wonder.

When she was free from the table, the detective got up, facing the shadow with Kanji supporting her. “I _am_ afraid of not being taken seriously. I do worry that all they’ll ever see me as is a little girl. But… I can’t let that control me. I see that now.”

_“All the self-confidence in the world won’t force them to see you as an equal!”_ the shadow insisted. 

“I can’t force them,” Naoto agreed. “But I can be myself, and let them judge me for me, not the mask I wear.”

“And she has us, now, to back her up!” Kanji yelled.

“That’s right. It’s time for you to be quiet,” Yu said firmly. He gestured sharply, and an array of tarot cards splayed out around his hand before crashing together into one. “Beelzebub!” The single card exploded with light, and a massive insect-like persona took shape above him.

Rise’s eyes widened beneath Himiko’s visor. “Everyone, that thing is really strong! Take cover!”

The team scattered, taking refuge behind bits of debris from the fight, as Yu pointed the massive persona towards Naoto’s shadow. There was a flash, and the roar of an explosion, and they were all forced to cover their heads as the concussive force shook the room. When the dust settled, there was only Naoto’s shadow, human once again in the middle of a crater.

“S-Senpai, what was _that?_ ” Kanji stammered, straightening up from where he’d bundled Naoto behind a pillar.

Yu actually smiled. “Megidolaon, I think.” _Minato would be proud._ He looked at Naoto, then, concerned. “Are you all right?”

Naoto remained on the floor, looking worn and tired. “I...maybe.”

“Do you really wish that you were a boy?” Yukiko asked, looking at the shadow, who was slumped in almost an identical pose.

“No…” Naoto admitted. “But being childish or a girl just gives them another reason to slight me.”

Kanji folded his arms, scowling. “No, it doesn’t. Look, I’m bad at all of that too. I’m bad at making friends, and I’ve got hobbies people don’t think are right for my gender. And it sucks. But you’ve just gotta find people that like you for you. These guys like you. I like you.” And really, it was a wonder he’d managed to get the sentence out with a straight face. “You’ve gotta face your inner self, or it’s just gonna keep hurting.”

Naoto pulled herself to her feet, limping towards the shadow. “I forced myself to not be childish, so they would take me seriously. That’s you, isn’t it? You are me...and I am you.”

The shadow smiled, happy. _“We’re going to grow up to be a cool detective one day.”_ It burst into points of light, which reformed into a sort of humanoid beetle: Naoto’s persona. The tarot card fell into her grasp, and she pressed it to her chest, laughing. “I can’t believe you managed to keep this a secret for so long. No wonder this case is such a mess…” Her voice trailed, and she started to tip over, but Kanji caught her.

“I can’t believe you risked your life just to prove your theory. That’s not genius, that’s stupid,” he scolded.

Naoto smiled. “I knew you would come for me.”

Kanji turned red. “You’re terrible. You’re a damn nightmare.” But he picked up Naoto regardless as she finally seemed to pass out, expression reluctantly fond.

“We should get her home. She’s been missing, and she needs to recover,” Yukiko said, and the others nodded in agreement. Another victim rescued, but still no real clues about the murderer. They needed to get a proper lead soon. It had taken far too long to get through Naoto’s dungeon.

Their luck couldn’t hold forever. If they didn’t solve this soon, someone else was going to die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently you get like three weeks in-game to save Naoto. I’m choosing to interpret that as ‘Naoto’s dungeon is really difficult’. I don’t actually know anything about Naoto’s dungeon other than what’s in the anime, so yolo, I guess. XD I know I've skipped most of the dungeons and that this is basically game-plot, but I did want to do this part because I always found it really interesting that Kanji understands what Naoto’s going through so well, and tells everyone that she needs to face her shadow. It’s really insightful of him, and I love that part of Kanji that can be extremely smart when it comes to other people.
> 
> The next palace is a pyramid and normally I’d be really excited, because there are so many cool puzzles, but the context is just so sad. I laughed my head off at Akira breaking the boulder mechanism by button-mashing and kicking it, though. I guess filling the hall with boulders technically stopped the boulders? X’D
> 
> Akechi’s onto us. I think...he needs help. But I also think I know what’s happening here and it’s putting the “Hell” in “Hell Train”. The ride never ends. XDDDD


	18. October 9th, 2011

“Where are we going, senpai?”

Yu smiled, glancing back at where Naoto was trailing behind him. Instead of answering her question, he asked, “It’s been hard for you, hasn’t it? Adjusting?”

Naoto frowned, refusing to meet his eyes. It had taken her most of the week to recover, after awakening her persona, and the team hadn’t returned to the television world since, too busy preparing for the exams looming in just a few days. “It just...doesn’t feel real, out here. Summoning personas, fighting monsters, jumping into the TV… Talking about it in daylight makes it seem like some kind of strange fever dream I had.”

“I thought it was a weird dream at first, too. Then we went to Junes and I stuck my hand in a TV,” Yu said wryly. “Fluorescent lights have a way of making things stand out as sharply real.”

“Is that where we’re going?” Naoto asked again, still trying to wheedle the purpose of this trip out of him. They were in the shopping district, that much she knew, but he had been infuriatingly vague when he called.

He shook his head. “No, we’re going somewhere different. You work off of logic and evidence. You need proof in daylight, so I’m giving it to you. And it’s not really fair that you haven’t met the others yet.”

“The...others?” Naoto stared at the back of his head, trailing a step behind him, but was then distracted by something that _definitely_ hadn’t been there before. “Is that… Is that a door? What is that doing there?”

“Oh, good, you can see it.” Yu stopped beside the blue door, turning to face Naoto. “This is the entrance to the Velvet Room. The attendants here help me with my personas, and...well, they try to give advice, but they get a little metaphysical sometimes.” He shrugged.

Naoto stared at the door, then stepped up to touch it. It was real and solid, attached to the wall just like any normal door, except it was glowing very faintly. “Has the rest of the team...been here?”

To her surprise, Yu shook his head. “They know about it. But none of them have been inside.” He opened the door, beckoning Naoto through. She hesitated for a moment, then took a step into a world of blue.

“This is a _limousine._ ”

Yu shrugged, stepping in behind her. “Something to do with my heart. That’s what Minato-senpai said, anyway.”

Naoto fumbled, noticing the two people sitting at the other end of the limo and inclining her head. “Sorry for intruding, ah, Narukami-senpai brought me and, uh…”

The woman smiled. “It’s quite all right. A friend of our guest’s is quite welcome here. My name is Margaret. My master is called Igor.”

Yu sat down on one of the seats, waving at Naoto to indicate it was fine. “Naoto’s a little rattled by all of this. I thought bringing her here would help.”

“Yes, when one’s heart has predominantly relied on observation and evidence, I see the need for further proof,” Igor said sagely. “This young lady possesses the Wheel of Fortune. A strong bond, indeed.”

“Fortune…” Yu tried to remember what he knew about the Fortune Arcana. It was about choices, or something like that. Minato had told him once that one of Ryoji’s arcana was Fortune, as well. What choices would Naoto bring to their little group, then?

Naoto, however, seemed to be absolutely brimming with questions and was less concerned with her own arcana. “What is this place? Is it another dimension, like the television world?”

“It is a place between dream and reality, mind and matter.” As Igor spoke, Margaret and Yu recited it along with him, and the Master of the Velvet Room’s eyebrow twitched just a bit with irritation. Naoto didn’t notice, too weirded out by all of them suddenly speaking in unison. Igor cleared his throat, folding his hands on the table in front of him and pointedly ignoring Yu and Margaret grinning at each other. “Both the Velvet Room and the television world are but two locations in the collective human unconscious.”

“We rulers of power watch over those with potential, and those chosen by the master of my master, from here,” Margaret added.

Naoto’s eyes were practically glittering from all of the potential knowledge. All of her initial confusion and shyness was gone, replaced by the desire to learn as much as she could. Margaret and Igor patiently fielded her questions about personas, Yu’s ability to change personas, Minato’s status as the prior Wild Card… Yu himself lost track of what they were talking about partway through an explanation on the subtleties of meta-space, and when he stopped zoning out he realized Elizabeth and Theodore had shown up as well.

“Picture the Sea of Souls,” Elizabeth was saying, gesturing at the large sheet of paper they’d spread over Igor’s table. “The Sea is vast and unfathomable, spanning the reach of the collective unconsciousness of humanity. The television world that some of you visit is but one island in this vast sea, connected to Yasoinaba.”

Theodore drew a large circle and labelled it ‘TV World’ on the paper. “The Door is another such location, standing at the border between unconsciousness and consciousness. It prohibits Nyx from descending and entering the real world to enact the Fall.” He reached up, drawing a door at the top of the paper with long lines extending to either side.

“And that’s the Seal that Minato-senpai made,” Naoto confirmed.

“Yes. Minato-san and Ryoji-kun have each sacrificed a part of their soul to keep the Great Seal intact,” Theodore confirmed. None of them had been specific about Ryoji’s prior identity; it was just basic information.

Naoto looked on in fascination. “So hypothetically there could be other areas in the collective unconscious shaped by the perceptions of humanity as well, but not necessarily connected to the TV.”

Igor nodded, glancing at Yu. “Your friend is quite sharp. You’ve gained a very valuable ally indeed.”

Yu didn’t get a chance to react with more than a proud smile before Naoto gasped, her eyes going wide. She grabbed Yu’s arm, shaking it urgently. “What if that’s how the Midnight Channel works? It’s a window into the television world, a localized part of the collective unconscious! The Midnight Channel shows a fuzzy outline of what people in Inaba are thinking about: locals who have been on TV and are at the forefront of public awareness!”

“That’s...That actually makes sense,” Yu said, caught off-guard. But it did. If the world inside the TV was shaped by people, then people had to be the primary influence on the Midnight Channel as well. “That’s brilliant, Naoto.”

“Knowing how it works isn’t going to catch the murderer, though,” Naoto said.

Yu shook his head. “Regardless, it’s something new that we hadn’t realized before. That’s good enough.”

Naoto dipped her head, embarrassed at the praise, but she was clearly smiling. She still wasn’t completely sure why Yu had brought her here, when none of the others had ever been, but she was grateful. It had helped a lot.

***

After they bid goodbye to the attendants, Yu and Naoto parted ways, and Yu made his way home for the evening. He grabbed the mail from the box and headed inside, where he found Nanako in the kitchen, looking through the fridge. He glanced around. “Where’s your dad, Nanako?”

Nanako glanced back over her shoulder. “That other detective guy came and said there was a lead they needed to look into, and Dad left with him a little while ago. I’m trying to figure out what to have for dinner.”

Yu frowned disapprovingly behind her back, and came over to peer into the fridge as well. “We have eggs. How does fried rice sound?”

“That sounds perfect!” Nanako said, with a huge smile. Yu dragged a chair in from the other room, letting her help him chop the vegetables and mix the eggs. The rice fried up in no time, and he served up two heaping bowls before following her to the living room. He flipped idly through the stack of mail as he ate, while Nanako watched some sort of rerun of Featherman. There was a plain white envelope with his name on it, and Yu ripped it open curiously. But as he read the single line of text there, he felt himself freeze, barely able to swallow his current bite of food.

_Don’t save anyone else._

“Onii-chan?” Nanako said shyly. She was looking anywhere but at him.

Yu looked up from the letter and his rice. “Hm? What is it?” He folded the paper up as small as he could and stuffed it in his pocket. He could deal with that later. When it didn’t feel like a bad dream.

Nanako looked uncertain, like she was afraid to say what she was thinking, but finally she blurted, “When you go back to the city, can I go with you?”

Why was it that when things decided to sucker-punch him in the gut, they always went for the one-two knockout? Yu stared at her, baffled, and managed to ask, “Why do you want to come with me?”

She mumbled something, and Yu just looked at her until she finally said more loudly, “I don’t think dad would miss me…”

“Nanako…?” That was...worrisome. “Nanako, what makes you think that?”

She clenched her fists in her lap, and Yu set down his chopsticks, waiting patiently for her to talk. It was almost a full minute of silence, broken only by the sound of the Phoenix Rangers taking down the bad guy on the TV, before she said, “He… He doesn’t care about me. He cares about work more. He said he was going to make dinner, but then he just left to go do his work!” Her voice got progressively louder until she was yelling. “I gave him a form so he could say when he was coming in to observe my class, and he said he’d be too busy to go at all! Ever since Mom died all he does is work!”

Yu felt ice settle into his veins, cold anger filling him up and making his chest ache as he watched his cousin, his little sister, break down into tears. He’d known Dojima was neglectful at best, leaving Nanako home alone all the time, but to know it was hurting her this badly…

“Where’s the form?” he asked, and Nanako pointed sadly at the trash bin. Yu got up, fishing it out and smoothing out the crinkles, and set it on the table before sitting down beside Nanako and pulling her into his lap. “Your dad loves you, Nanako. I know he does.” _He’s just stupid._

“Is it something I did, then?” she said tearfully, burying her face in Yu’s shirt.

 _“No.”_ Yu held her tightly, letting her burrow against his shoulder. “No, you haven’t done anything wrong. This isn’t your fault.”

“Why, then?” she said, muffling a sob against him.

“I don’t know. But I’m going to ask him.”

***

Once she’d stopped crying, he sent her up to her room, promising to come up later with sweets. And a signed form, if he had anything to say about it. So when Dojima came in and sank tiredly onto the couch, Yu set aside the rest of the dishes and walked over to hold the form in front of his face.

“You haven’t signed this for Nanako yet.”

Dojima sighed. “That’s because I already told her I wasn’t going to have time to go.”

“Then _make_ time,” Yu said, with the sort of guts he wouldn’t have had a few months ago. “It’s important to her.”

“You’re awfully impolite all of a sudden,” Dojima said, narrowing his eyes. “Is that how my sister raised you to speak to adults?”

Yu steeled himself. “Nanako thinks you don’t care about her. She thinks that your work is more important to you.”

“My _work_ , in case you’ve forgotten, is tracking down murderers. It’s very important.”

 _I’m tracking down a murderer, too, but I still manage to make time for her. And school. And everything else,_ Yu thought, but didn’t say. Instead, he just held out the form again. “Sign it.”

Dojima scowled at him. “You need to mind your own business. Just because I’m letting you stay here doesn’t give you the right to butt into personal matters.” But then his gaze shifted to somewhere over Yu’s shoulder and his face fell. Yu turned to look, already knowing what he’d see.

Nanako was standing there, trembling. “I-I was right,” she said shakily, eyes welling up again. It was easy to cry again when you already had, after all. “Work is more important to you.”

“Nanako, I--”

“It’s like I’m not even your real daughter!” Nanako shouted, and before either of them could react she had bolted out the front door.

“Nanako!” Yu took off immediately, but by the time he raced into the street, closely followed by Dojima, Nanako had vanished into the night. “Nanako, where are you?!”

“I’ll check the shopping district,” Dojima said, his voice tight with worry.

Yu nodded. “I’ll check the road to the station.” They split up, calling her name, hoping and praying nothing happened to her.

***

At last, after over an hour, they managed to find Nanako at the Samegawa flood plain. She was sitting at the edge of the river with her feet in the water, arms wrapped forlornly around her knees. Dojima sighed at the sight of her, looking over at Yu.

“You should talk to her. She probably doesn’t want to see me right now.”

“Coward,” Yu said without thinking. Dojima gaped at him in shock, and Yu plowed onwards before he could lose his nerve, “Do you want to fix things, or not? The whole problem is that she thinks you don’t care. Prove her wrong.”

Dojima said nothing, but visibly took a deep breath before walking towards his daughter. Yu watched them, relieved that his uncle had listened, before getting distracted as a figure detached from the treeline and walked down the banks towards him.

“What are you doing here?” Yu asked, and Minato glanced at the pair by the water.

“I saw Nanako sprinting through town alone. It didn’t seem safe,” he said. “We talked a bit, but then she wanted to be alone, so I figured I’d keep an eye on her ‘til she was ready to go home.”

“...thank you,” Yu said quietly. “You didn’t have to.”

Minato shrugged. “Nanako’s a good kid. And there’s still a murderer on the loose.”

Abruptly, Yu remembered the note, and he pulled it out of his pocket to show Minato. “Speaking of that, this showed up in my mailbox tonight.”

The older persona-user looked it over curiously, his brow furrowing with concern. “The murderer knows that you’re involved, you’re capable of saving people,” he said, and there was clear worry in his usually lazy tone. “The murderer _knows who you are._ You’re going to show the others, right?”

“I’m calling a meeting tomorrow.” Yu stuffed the note back in his pocket. “This means my family is at risk, too.”

“Be careful,” Minato said, and his expression was absolutely serious. “Ryoji and I will keep an eye on things as best we can, but we’re not all-seeing.”

“Even a little bit of help is welcome,” Yu replied. “But I’ll be careful, and I’ll warn the others tomorrow. If the killer makes a move, we’ll be ready.”

He should have known the stakes were going to raise at some point, especially if their opponent was another persona-user. And as he looked at Nanako, who was hugging her dad tightly, he knew he would do anything to protect them, and his friends. 

No killer was going to get the better of Yu, whether he knew he was involved or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naoto-predicts-Mementos-2.5-years-early.txt + plotplotplotPLOTPLOT.txt
> 
> Anyway, all of this is happening on an earlier date than game canon, but we’re doing it like this. Even though it might be a smidge rushed. X’D The culture festival is next, and with it come quite a few answers to some things that have been bothering a certain Wild Card… It’s prolly gonna be a massive chapter if I do the whole thing in one go, so be warned. XD
> 
> The end of the pyramid was awesome. I really like Futaba. But finishing the palace in three days stretched the credibility a little. She slept for _three and a half weeks._ Surely there could have been a better way for the game to handle that.
> 
> Anyway now I just need Akira's not-boyfriend with the tragic backstory, who is also almost definitely some kind of meta-space assassin, to stop fleeing Leblanc every time I talk to him. Please stay, talk to me, I have a game console now, ~~come hang out in my attic. Please. I've gotta save you from whoever you're working for. We've gotta get off this train.~~
> 
>  
> 
> ~~In what universe does a school go to Hawaii for five days for a school trip??????~~


	19. October 17th, 2011

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I lied the culture festival is after this. The cards have been dealt.

Lavenza walked into the lounge of the Velvet Room, book under her arm, and paused at the sight of her family all sitting around looking surprisingly concerned. Belladonna was in the armchair, with Nameless leaning against the back of it pensively. Margaret and Elizabeth took the sofa, both seemingly deep in thought. Theodore was pacing near the piano, and there was a sixth figure that none of them had seen in a while set up in the corner.

“Hello, Mr. Painter,” the youngest attendant said, waving at him. The Demon Painter glanced up and offered her a smile, and she took the last remaining chair, setting her book in her lap and looking around. “What’s going on? Did our master call a meeting?”

“He’s gone out for now,” Margaret said gently. “He implied that something important will need to be discussed, though, so we are waiting for him to return.”

“Why didn’t anyone call me?” Lavenza asked, looking around at them all.

Theodore shook his head. “You’re still quite young, and you have never attended a guest. We did not wish to worry you.”

Lavenza frowned. “If my whole family is worried, I’m going to be worried! Where did Master Igor go, anyway?”

They all hesitated, and then the Demon Painter spoke up, “He’s gone to see _his_ master, kid. Something’s going down. I’m guessing that’s why I got asked back here too.”

Lavenza’s eyes widened. “ _Master Philemon?_ Why?”

“Shh,” Belladonna hushed. “We will know when he returns. Until then, we must be patient.”

Being patient was easier said than done, especially when Elizabeth wouldn’t stop fidgeting either. Lavenza tried to read her book, but she couldn’t focus on the words. Philemon hadn’t been involved in anything directly in a long time, leaving things to the residents of the Velvet Room in his place. What could be so important that he called their master to speak to him?

When Igor at last stepped into the lounge, he paused in the doorway, surprised to see them all gathered. Or perhaps surprised that they had waited so long. “Our master hopes that all of you are well,” he said as greeting, and instantly captured everyone’s attention.

“What did Master Philemon want?” Elizabeth blurted. The rest of them glanced at her anxiously, but Igor merely shook his head.

“I will explain. Do not worry.” He walked the rest of the way into the room, where they could all see him. “I’m not sure if you all have noticed, but meta-space has been growing less stable. Philemon is concerned.”

The younger attendants all looked at each other in confusion, and the Painter just shrugged, but Belladonna sighed. “I can feel it,” she said. “And would I be wrong to guess that I know what the source is?”

“You would not,” Igor said. “Philemon admits that we did not know all of the consequences of bequeathing such a great power, but as things stand, reality will attempt to correct itself, quite possibly within the next six months.”

“ _Ah,_ ” the Painter said. “I see what this is. Jeeze, who’s the unlucky one this time?”

Igor’s gaze darted from one to the next, finally settling on Theodore. “The cards have been dealt,” he said quietly, and Theodore frowned.

“I’m-- I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

“Of course you don’t. You weren’t even old enough last time this happened.” The Painter got up, coming over to put a heavy hand on Theodore’s shoulder. “Two timelines can’t coexist, Theo. Reality gets too strained.”

“W-What?” Theodore looked at him, then Igor, then Belladonna and Nameless. “But...what about Hamuko-chan?”

No one said anything. The room was dead silent, and Theodore went pale. “B-But… No. No, there has to be something-- It’s been like this for years and years! Why now?”

Igor folded his hands. “The timelines have diverged too far. They ran basically concurrently for ten years, allowing them to coexist with minimal effect. But the twins have since taken their own paths, and reality will attempt to snap them back, resulting in the destruction of all but the primary timeline.” He looked around at them all, somber. “As the oldest of you know, this has occurred before, though it was by design the first time. All had to lose their memory of the original timeline to allow the other to become the primary one.”

It was Elizabeth who spoke up next, sounding frighteningly subdued. “...what are we supposed to tell Minato-san?”

“We aren’t,” Igor said firmly. “We tell neither of them. You know as well as I that we do not interfere except in small ways, and there is nothing small about this. Our guests hold their fates in their own hands.”

Elizabeth and Theodore both looked as though they wanted to object, but a sharp look from Igor silenced them like chastised children. Unspoken agreement settled over the room, and Igor turned to go.

“Ah, Master, I wanted to ask about Marie…” Margaret began, but Igor didn’t look back.

“Miss Marie’s situation will become clear in time,” he said. “And there is something to be said for keeping one’s friends close.”

They all watched him go, then quietly began to disperse themselves, most of the older attendants offering Theodore sympathetic looks on the way out. Soon Elizabeth and Theodore were the only ones to remain in the lounge, and Elizabeth analyzed the expression on her brother’s face sharply. “You aren’t going to disobey our master, are you?”

“...no,” Theodore said, gaze fixed firmly on his hands where they were clenched in his lap. “I cannot. But…” He bit his lip anxiously. “I can watch, and I can try to help, when the time comes.”

Elizabeth grinned. “You’ve got more guts than I gave you credit for,” she teased, poking him in the shoulder. “And...if you require aid, simply ask. I care too much for Minato-san to allow this to end without a fight.”

“...Thank you, Elizabeth.” It wasn’t often that they agreed completely on something, but protecting their guests was something that would always be a priority.

Whether their master approved of their means or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The author has made a plot-important decision. And probably a mistake, trying to write Igor or any of the older attendants for any length of time. And we’re going slightly off the rails, so hold on to your butts.
> 
> (Not to mention I’m still trying to sort through the tangled ball of string that is Persona 2, if you've noticed that I reference that a lot less than P1, usually. But I’m trying this anyway. Wheeeeee~)
> 
> Fuck Okumura’s palace. Too many robots, not enough outer space. And who the hell robs a space station??? It doesn’t fit the theme at all. I just have this really awful feeling that something is wrong, not the least of which because of that stupid phan-site poll. Also I’m 99% sure Akechi either saw us or got sucked into the metaverse with us because of the proximity thing, so everything is probably going to shit soon anyway. Gaaaaah.


	20. October 30th, 2011

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies, gentlemen, assorted demons… I present the massive freaking culture festival chapter. Enjoy. XD

Day two of the the Yasogami High culture festival had gotten very weird, very quickly. Half of the Investigation Team, most specifically the male half, had decided that while the murderer knowing who they were was a problem, what was more of a problem was the _other_ half of the team signing them up for the crossdressing pageant.

Apparently egged on by Ryoji, since Minato had been signed up as well.

They’d all been made over by the girls, put into dresses that supposedly suited them and forced onstage. All of them had been uncomfortable, minus Minato and Teddie. Minato had shuffled onstage in his white dress, red costume jewelry, and red flower crown with zero complaints, waving awkwardly at the audience. He had gotten too used to Ryoji dragging him into things to even be fazed anymore. And Teddie had all but flown onto the stage in his Alice in Wonderland-inspired outfit, much to the amazement and cheers of the student body and guests. Yu stared at them in outright disbelief as they all stood in line onstage, until Yosuke elbowed him and he remembered to smile at the crowd again. That was when he spotted Ryoji off to the side, waving enthusiastically with Nanako sitting on his shoulders.

 _Good lord, could this day get any weirder?_ He’d forgotten Dojima was dropping Nanako off. Now his cousin had seen him dressed like a girl. Great.

Ryoji and the girls met all of them backstage after Teddie had been declared the winner. Nanako giggled at seeing all of them up close, and Chie patted her on the head. “What do you think, Nanako? I bet you think your brother should have won.”

Nanako shook her head. “No, Mina-niichan is the prettiest.”

Yu wilted, wondering why he felt so disappointed, and Teddie ended up on the floor. It wasn’t wrong, though. Minato was stupidly pretty in a dress. But he was stupidly pretty for a boy normally, as well. He and Naoto could be twins...if Naoto was a few inches taller, anyway.

“You’re making a face,” Minato said, interrupting his train of thought.

“I was just thinking that you and Naoto could be twins, with some hairstyling,” he said, unwilling to admit that he’d thought Minato was pretty.

Minato considered that for a moment. “Interesting, but I already have a twin sister.”

“Wait, what?!”

“Her name’s Hamuko. She doesn’t live in Iwatodai, or I’d have introduced you.” There was a distinct look to Minato’s calm expression that told the rest of the group that any further information wasn’t fit for the public. Or Nanako.

Yosuke finally just pushed his way through the group, heading for the restrooms. “Let’s just go take off these dumb outfits so we can look around the festival. I want to go in the haunted house up on the third floor!”

Kanji was right behind him. “We gotta have lunch, too, and I heard good things about the food court.”

“He has a point,” Minato said. He started to follow as well, but was cut off short as Ryoji grabbed his hand, pulling him into a dramatic spin and then dipping him.

“Sorry. Taking advantage. You’re never going to wear anything like this again.”

Minato turned a frankly alarming shade of red as Ryoji kissed his nose, pulling away almost as soon as he was back upright. “Idiot,” he declared, and hurried off.

Yu brought up the rear, trudging along behind them. Why was everyone he knew so eccentric?

***

It took entirely too long to convince Teddie to change back into his regular clothes, but they managed somehow, and then the festival was theirs to explore. Games, activities, delicious food...you name it, it was there. Kanji proved to be an expert at the fishing game, Naoto practically cleaned out the shooting booth of prizes, and Minato won some sort of takoyaki-eating contest with what looked like no effort on his part.

As the afternoon wore on, they found themselves on the second floor, and ended up pausing in front of a tent that was a rather familiar shade of blue.

“You don’t think…?” Naoto questioned, peering at the flap.

“The sign says fortune-teller,” Chie pointed out. “Aren’t your Velvet friends good with tarot cards or something?” She pointed dramatically at the entrance. “Hey, Naoto got to see inside the Velvet Room! The rest of us should at least get to look!”

Yu looked around at all of them. “I don’t know…” It was one thing to take Naoto, but the whole crowd of them piling in at once might upset Igor. He didn’t want to know what Igor looked like when he was upset.

Before he could come up with a concrete reason not to beyond, _I don’t want to upset a man that could probably smite me with one finger,_ the flap on the tent opened, and Margaret stuck her head out. “Ah, good. I was hoping to see you all. Do you have a few minutes?”

Yu glanced at Minato, Ryoji, and Nanako, and the two boys nodded. “Hey, Nanako,” Ryoji said brightly. “Margaret’s probably got something really boring to tell them. Do you want to go try that ice cream buffet on the first floor?”

“...ice cream buffet?” Minato questioned, looking far too eager for someone who had already won an eating contest.

Nanako looked between them and Yu, who waved her off with a smile. “It’s fine, Nanako. We’ll be done in a little while.”

Nanako smiled. “All right. Let’s go get ice-cream, Ryo-niichan. See you later, onii-chan!”

Yu kept smiling until they were out of sight, then turned to Margaret. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”

Margaret gestured to them to follow. “Please, come in.” The Velvet Room appeared not as a limo this time, but as a round room with a table in the center, fitting for a fortune teller. Everyone crowded around, and when they were settled, Margaret began, “You have all been helping Marie with recovering her lost memories, and creating new ones, correct?”

“Well, yes,” Yu said. “We made a promise to try to help her. Even if we have been more focused on the case lately…”

“I was hoping to speak to you about Marie while I had you all...together…” Margaret trailed off, looking around as an ominous rumbling sound filled the tent. The floor shuddered, and the Investigation Team looked around nervously.

“Was that an earthquake?” Chie asked nervously.

“It felt like...an elevator started moving?” Yosuke said tentatively.

Margaret frowned. “That makes no sense. The room hasn’t been an elevator in two yea--” But before she could even finish her sentence, the room dropped like a stone, sending all of them flying to the floor. Marie fell out from behind a curtain, even, hitting the floor with a thud.

“Margaret, what the hell?!”

“I don’t know!” Margaret yelled back. “Maybe this has something to do with the instability Master Igor mentioned.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Everyone hold on!”

They scooted as close to the walls as they could, grabbing at the curtains to try to cushion the inevitable impact. Kanji locked his arms around Rise and Naoto, so they wouldn’t go flying, and Chie and Yukiko latched onto each other, bundling inside a curtain the best they could. Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie joined hands, and Marie clung to Margaret’s coat. There was a massive crash and an impact that sent them all briefly airborne, and the walls seemed to cave in.

When they were finally able to slowly pick themselves up off the floor, they realized that the room had apparently collapsed, leaving only a floating platform with the table, and a pair of padlocked doors.

“What the _hell?_ ” Kanji demanded, helping Rise to her feet and then reaching for Naoto. “Is everybody all right?”

There was a chorus of affirmations from around the room, and Margaret brushed her dress off, looking flustered. “That was...unusual.” Worry tinged her voice, and she glanced at Marie. “Would you all check outside and make sure that no one noticed anything unusual from out there? I will take a look at these doors.”

They agreed immediately, filing out of the tent as Margaret checked over the padlocks. Each was a different shape and size, and none of them seemed familiar. The doors, however, gave off a very distinct aura.

“Er, Margaret?” Yu called from the entrance. “No one noticed anything, but I’m pretty sure that’s the least of our worries.”

Margaret frowned. That didn’t sound good. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, this isn’t our school.”

***

One of the culture festival booths had been a _dungeon_. Full of _shadows_.

None of them had known what to do, not even the two strange students they’d met outside of it. Zen and Rei were missing memories just like Marie, and the team had felt bad for them, agreeing to bring them along into the labyrinthine dungeon when they’d proven they could fight even without personas.

Now, though, at the bottom of the dungeon, they weren’t doing so great against the boss shadow.

“Move, move, move!” Yu shouted, shoving Chie out of the way as another wave of card soldiers was summoned. They barely missed the spear one of the cards was carrying, hitting the floor with a crash.

“We’re outnumbered!” Naoto shouted, calling hamaon and managing to knock out one. “Senpai, we need to retreat!”

“The door locked behind us!” Yu replied, as Yukiko called for media and reenergized them. Chie climbed back to her feet, pulling him up after her and taking a fighting stance.

“A last stand, then?” she said, her voice tight. “If we can’t get to the queen, we’re toast.”

Yu looked around at all of his friends and their varying degrees of exhaustion, and gritted his teeth. “We have to try.”

But as they charged forward, the door behind them exploded in a blast of bluish light, and a group of people stepped through the smoke. Yu’s eyes widened, because he didn’t know most of them, but the leader was a familiar face indeed.

Minato walked forward, a tiny smile quirking his lips, and Yu realized that the people following him must have been the Shadow Operatives. He wasn’t sure how Minato had managed to assemble them all so quickly, but he wasn’t going to question a miracle.

Something wasn’t right, though, and as he got a better look at them, it got clearer and clearer. Minato wasn’t his usual self. He looked less expressive, less open...and younger than he should. And as Ken and Koromaru came into view near the rear of the group, Yu realized with growing bafflement that these weren’t the Shadow Operatives. This was, somehow, _S.E.E.S.._

There wasn’t time to dwell, though, as S.E.E.S. charged forward to join them in battle, and with a frankly boggling eighteen people, the odds were much more evenly matched. They cut down the card soldiers in swaths, advancing on the queen until finally there was an opportunity to cut her down as well.

When everything was over and they had a chance to catch their breath for a moment, Yu turned to the strangely younger Minato and pasted on a smile. “Thank you for your help.”

“You looked like you needed it,” Minato quipped, and offered a hand. “I’m Arisato Minato.”

Yu swallowed hard. “Narukami Yu.” He took Minato’s hand, looking around at the rest of the group. This was them. S.E.E.S., somehow here in front of him. He could barely hear Naoto whispering urgently to the rest of his team not to let on that they knew who Minato was, but he was proud that she had already figured out what was going on. He was more concerned that there was a member of S.E.E.S. missing. That meant that things weren’t over yet for them. Minato had told him the story; Ryoji hadn’t appeared until November. So he was here, in a way, just not physically present, and S.E.E.S. didn’t know what was coming. He choked down the urge to warn them, and instead asked, “How did you get here?”

Minato considered. “Do you know about the Velvet Room? It’s an elevator, and the elevator crashed with us in it.”

“...my Velvet Room crashed as well,” Yu said. “Something strange is going on here.”

“We should get back to the school and meet up with Elizabeth and her brother,” Minato said. “Elizabeth is my attendant. Hopefully she’ll have _some_ idea what’s going on, but I don’t have much hope.”

“My attendant is out there, too,” Yu said, trying to sound as casual as he could. “They’ve probably already run into each other.”

“Hopefully yours is more agreeable than Elizabeth.”

God, this was going to be weird. Yu forced down any reservations he had and led his group towards the exit, already trying to mentally prep himself for the insanity to come.

***

The past versions of Elizabeth and Theodore didn’t know what was going on either, even after putting their heads together with Margaret and Marie. The best guess they could come up with was that they had been pulled into the Abyss of Time, which was why their timelines were out of sync. S.E.E.S. had tried to ask about the future, but Margaret and Mitsuru had shut them down almost immediately, warning against possibly changing things.

Yu agreed. They couldn’t risk altering future events. Everything turned out fine in the end; if they changed something, there was a high likelihood that it would end up as a worse ending. Everything about Ryoji was a miracle, it seemed like, and one misstep could end with both of them dead instead.

They took some time exploring the festival before moving on to the second labyrinth, and it was so strange to watch S.E.E.S. barely navigating each other. Minato talked about them in his time like they were family, so watching them interact like a team of acquaintances and nothing more was jarring and uncomfortable. It was still interesting, though, meeting Junpei, and Yukari, and the Kirijo Mitsuru that now owned the dorm in Tatsumi Port Island. Yu could see why Minato and Ryoji respected her so much.

Strangest of all was Aigis, who was apparently some kind of shadow-fighting robot that cared deeply about Minato. Yu wasn’t going to ask, but he was silently thanking whoever was listening that his life wasn’t as strange or convoluted as the boy currently serving as a vessel for Death.

Now, however, they were in a labyrinth based on a group date cafe (much to the Yasogami kids’ horror), and Minato was answering the questions of the strange mechanical voice, having been named de facto leader of their combined forces. Yu had a very strange feeling that he knew where this was going, but he said nothing. His Minato had no memories of this, save for one bizarre detail, and it was coming up on Yu’s timeline very quickly.

When they reached the last room, the mechanical voice offered up the final question: _Your fridge is filled with…?_

Minato blinked, and most of the group muttered among themselves at what a weird question it was. But then the blue-haired boy looked directly at Fuuka, and sighed. “Some kind of grass, I think.”

“It was supposed to be salad!” Fuuka objected, but the voice had already processed the answer. It rambled some sort of speech about there being no wrong answers, and then the room went dark and spotlights began swinging around wildly, only to come to a stop on Minato and Yu.

“Huh…” Minato said, looking at him curiously. “I mean, we’ve probably got a similar destiny, but I...don’t think that’s what this is.” He hung his head, kicking his feet awkwardly.

“Maybe it’s because we both have the power of the Wild Card,” Yu suggested. “I’ve felt some kind of bond with you, too.”

Before either of them could react any more than that, the floor dropped out from under them, and the last thing they heard were their friend’s panicked cries as they dropped through the floor into darkness.

Yu landed first, thankfully on something relatively soft, but promptly got the wind knocked out of him as Minato landed on top of him. The other boy scrambled back as soon as he realized where he’d landed, climbing to his feet and looking incredibly uncomfortable.

_“You haVE reached youR desTinAtion.”_

“Not like we had a choice,” Minato muttered sourly, as Yu got up and dusted himself off. “We’re alone down here.”

It was a long, straight path through what looked like a pristine field, decorated with delicate heart-shaped arches and ribbons. Yu looked around, baffled. “We fell for a long time...and apparently we’re destined partners. But where is this?”

_“This seeMs to be a Path where LOverS who met theiR DEstined parTnerS discuss their LOVE for eaCH other.”_

“Wh-What?! Did that thing say lovers?” Yu’s voice cracked a bit with surprise. “No, no, that’s not right, you’ve got--” He managed to stop talking before he could blurt out the future, but Minato stared at him shrewdly.

“I’ve got what?” he asked, and Yu swallowed hard.

“You-- You have a whole team of friends. Any of them would be better than someone you barely know like me.” This was _not_ what he’d been expecting at all! What kind of weird dungeon was this?!

Minato frowned, but relented. “I...suppose. But it’s just a stupid quiz. It’s not like it makes us soulmates.” He didn’t notice the face Yu made, looking around instead. “We need to be careful. We could end up dead if an F.O.E. spots us while we’re alone.”

“If it does, I’ll protect you,” Yu said, managing a grin.

“Wow. How can you just say things like that, like it’s nothing?” Minato asked, but he looked amused, at least.

“Practice. Lots of practice.” Yu beckoned to him. “Come on, let’s go.”

They walked down the path side-by-side, alert for anything that might try to ambush them, but there was barely a sound other than faint organ music, and nowhere for anything to hide in the wide, flat field. After just a minute or two of walking, they stumbled on a giant easel holding a photo, and the mechanical voice returned to inform them that it was a joyous commemoration of the love between a bride and a groom.

“Bride and groom?” Yu said, confused all over again.

Minato wilted. “Oh no…”

Closer inspection of the photo revealed that it was in fact a photo of a groom carrying a bride...but with their two faces added in. Yu could only be grateful that Minato was playing the role of the bride, but they both stared at it for a long moment, unsure what to even say. Finally, Minato muttered in disbelief, “Why would someone go through this much trouble?”

“Maybe it’s a trap?” Yu suggested halfheartedly. “Or they’re trying to rattle us?” This just kept getting more and more ridiculous. Now he was kind of glad the others weren’t around for this.

“I wonder what they were expecting us to do.” Minato walked around behind the photo, to see if there was anything on the back, and as he disappeared from view Yu pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of it. His Minato would get a hopefully get a kick out of this, when he got home.

He’d been taking pictures the whole time, actually, having a weird feeling that they would come in handy. Minato didn’t remember anything about this meeting, and he could only assume the rest of S.E.E.S. didn’t either. There was no way to know whether that would extend to his team as well, so photographic proof was going to be the best he could do. He hadn’t told anyone he was doing it, out of fear of messing up the future, but hopefully it would help, in the end.

“Yu-kun, there’s another path over here,” Minato called, and Yu stuffed his phone back in his pocket and hurried around the photo to where the other boy was waiting.

In just another short minute, a church loomed in front of them, and Minato stopped dead. Yu almost ran into him, and the mechanical voice boomed, _“The lasT moMent of hesiTaTion has arrived beFore You are tO be WED.”_

“I knew it, this thing is trying to marry us. What the hell?” Minato muttered. “What are we going to do? I’m assuming you don’t want to get married.”

“To you?” Yu asked, and for a brief second he could have sworn he felt a sudden, overwhelming aura of death. _No, you’re really not my type, and your future boyfriend would kill my soul._

_“You deCide to vOW eTerNAL loVE to each OTher.”_

“We didn’t even talk it over!” Minato objected loudly, but the voice just carried on encouraging them to open the door, and then the door swung open on its own.

“There’s so much wrong with this!” Yu shouted, but there was nowhere to go but into the church, so after an awkward exchange of glances, they stepped inside.

The mechanical voice began reciting wedding vows, but it was impossible to hear over both Rise and Fuuka suddenly yelling in their ears. 

“SENPAI, you can’t!” Rise wailed.

“Minato-san, what are you even doing?!” Fuuka cried. It was clear they’d only just regained the connection, and all they’d seen was the two of them standing side-by-side in a church. The rest of their friends charged through the church doors, then, all crowding around and objecting to the farce of a wedding. It took a good five minutes to calm them down enough to even notice the shadow at the far end of the aisle, but once they did, the wedding was basically forgotten in favor of hunting down this labyrinth’s treasure.

As they headed into battle, though, Minato smiled at Yu, and the younger Wild Card knew he’d made the right decision to take pictures. Awkward as this diversion had been, it had been kind of fun, too. And he wanted Minato to remember that.

***

The Inaba Pride exhibit was hot and humid and miserable, and no one wanted to be in there for any length of time. They had all been almost supernaturally resilient so far, since it had clearly been well-over twenty-four hours and none of them had needed to sleep, but the heat sapped their strength in a way nothing else had so far. Yu and Minato called a halt to the exploration, using a goho-m to return to the school proper, and they all ended up lounging around an empty classroom with cool drinks, and pillows they’d stolen from the group date cafe.

“These are incredible,” Minato said, examining one of the jars as he and Yu sat against the wall by the door. “We don’t have anything like this for Tartarus.”

“Bootstrap paradox,” Yu said suddenly, remembering what his Minato had said about them. “This must be where the loop closes.”

“What do you mean?” The other Wild Card stared at him, confused.

Yu fumbled for an answer that wouldn’t break the timeline. “One of the Velvet Room attendants in my time told me that Theodore learned to make them by examining one that Margaret had. But Margaret got her supply from Theodore. Now I understand how that’s possible; Margaret had the ones we brought with us, and this is where Theodore examined them so he could make them in the first place.”

“Reality is so strange,” Minato said, and Yu resisted a hysterical laugh threatening to bubble up. Minato had _no idea._

“So, about Aigis,” he said instead, “She actually goes to school with all of you?”

Minato nodded. “She’s just like the rest of us. Except the metal, obviously.” He said it as if it were the most normal thing in the world, to go to school with a robot that had a human soul. “Does Teddie not go to school?”

Yu rolled his eyes. “Can you imagine Teddie in school? No, he doesn’t. He looks human enough now, but his real form is still the bear from inside the TV. We don’t really know what he is.”

“He seems fine, at least,” Minato said, though his voice was quieter. He shifted around, fluffing the horrible pink-and-green pillow he’d managed to claim for himself. “I’m gonna try to nap. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

Minato flashed him a grateful smile and curled up, his eyes falling shut. Yu leaned his head back against the wall, wondering how all of this could _still_ feel so unreal. Was this why Minato had stuck around as long as he had? The other boy had no obligation to hang around and play mentor, but if he subconsciously remembered this…

It wasn’t worth thinking about. This was happening, but had also already happened. All he could do was make sure that nothing changed the future that he remembered.

***

The end found them all in the Velvet Room, staring at the now-unlocked doors that they knew would lead them home.

“We’ll come find you,” Yukari promised, hugging Rise, Yukiko, and Chie. “I guess we have to wait a while so you’ll know us, but we’ll come visit. I promise.”

Mitsuru nodded. “It has been an incredible experience, getting to work with another team. I am glad that we met you all.”

“It’s truly been an honor,” Naoto said, shaking Mitsuru’s hand.

“Hey,” Yu called. “Everyone come here; I want a group picture.” He’d propped the camera up on the table, and started ushering everyone to stand in front of the doors, giving up on keeping what he was doing a secret. “I’ll make sure you all get it, probably two years late, but indulge me.”

Even the Velvet attendants squeezed into the shot, despite Margaret insisting that Igor wouldn’t like it. But what Igor didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them, and Yu set the timer and dashed over to take his place. “Smile, everyone!”

The camera flashed, and Yu checked the picture. It was perfect. Yosuke and Junpei were making faces, Fuuka and Rise had their arms around each other, Koromaru was perched on Shinjiro’s head… Again, Yu felt that pang of regret that he couldn’t warn them of what was to come, but it was for the best.

One by one they began to depart, promising to see each other again one day. But before Minato could leave, Yu reached out and caught his wrist. “Wait.” 

Minato stopped, and Aigis paused just before going through the door. “Minato-san, what is it?”

“I’ll be right there,” he said, and reluctantly she passed through the door. Minato stuck his hands in his pockets and frowned at Yu. “What is it?”

Yu looked away guiltily, basically confirming that something was wrong, and finally said very quietly, “Your team’s going to forget all of this ever happened, as soon as they get back. You will, too.”

Minato’s eyes widened. “What?” he said, sounding scared for the first time since this adventure had started. “But… my team is getting along better… and we’ve met all of you… and… Zen and Rei… How can we just forget?”

“I don’t know,” Yu said helplessly, and Minato came forward to grab his hands.

“I don’t _want_ to forget,” he said, his grip on Yu’s hands becoming almost painful. 

Yu didn’t know what to say, faced with desperate storm-grey eyes in a face younger than it should be. Because Minato _had_ forgotten, two years later, and he didn’t know how to tell him that it was a foregone conclusion. But Elizabeth looked pointedly at Yu’s pocket, where his phone had been tucked away, and said, “Somehow, I don’t think there will be anything to worry about.”

Minato looked him right in the eyes. “ _Please._ Help me remember.”

“...I will. I promise.” And he would. He would go right through that door and find Minato right then, at the festival. Ryoji too, since really he was talking to both of them in some bizarre meta-way right now. He squeezed Minato’s hands, then let go, and each of them turned to face their doors. With a deep breath, they stepped through, and the Velvet Room blurred around them.

*** 

Mochizuki Ryoji had once been wholly Death, most feared of the Full Moon Arcana, Avatar of Nyx, Herald of the Fall, Appriser of Mankind, the last judgment, etc., etc.. He had been nigh-on all-powerful. And now, mostly human and with only a fraction of Nyx’s fearsome power, he had managed to get himself trapped on a bench in a school hallway. It was ridiculously ironic and he was enjoying every moment of it.

He had been trapped there for nearing fifteen minutes when Yu and friends returned from the tent that was definitely not a poorly-disguised entrance to the Velvet Room. They all looked mildly puzzled, but Yu spotted him across the hallway and his expression flitted through so many emotions at once that Death Incarnate could barely keep up.

So instead, he just waved helplessly. “Hi. I’m a little stuck.”

Minato had dozed off leaning back against him, halfway in his lap, snoozing despite the noise in the hallway. Normally, that wouldn’t be a huge problem; Ryoji was used to Minato’s sleepiness and was an expert at escaping from being used as a pillow if he had to. But Nanako had fallen asleep in _Minato’s_ lap, and they both looked so cute that waking up either of them would be a crime.

Yu chuckled quietly, coming over and sitting beside him. “How long were we gone?”

“Two hours or so?” Ryoji shrugged. “Nanako was fine. She dragged us all over the festival, but it was fun. They wore themselves out.” He grinned, bumping an affectionate kiss against Minato’s temple, then asked, “So what did Margaret want?”

“Well…” Yu pulled out his phone, flipping through the gallery. “Remember when we first met, and Minato made some weird comment about us being destined partners?”

“...yes…?”

He showed Ryoji a picture on his phone. It showed the photo of a groom carrying a bride, with Yu and Minato’s faces inserted in. Ryoji stared at it for a moment, then started giggling. “What on earth is that? How did they get pictures of you?” He paused. “Wait, where _is_ that?”

“Some sort of labyrinth. The Velvet Room crashed or something and-- wait, did you say we were only gone two hours?!” Yu asked, completely freaked out.

“Two hours,” Ryoji confirmed. “Why?”

“We were there for days,” Yu said a bit too loud, then thought better of it and said more quietly, “It was hard to keep track of time, but we were there a long time.”

Ryoji stared at him. “...you should probably get the others and start from the beginning.”

“I’ll try, but I don’t know if they remember.”

“...what.”

***

In the end, everyone else’s memories were hazy, like they’d woken up from a weird dream, but they agreed to follow Yu and Ryoji to the courtyard so they could talk. Ryoji woke up Minato, and Yu carried Nanako, and when everyone was settled in Yu started telling the story in as much detail as he could.

The rest of the Investigation Team’s memories seemed to clear up as he spoke, and after he’d passed his phone around so they could look at all the photos, the memories resolved themselves even more. They started chiming in, adding anecdotes of what they’d been doing in the false Yasogami while hanging out with the members of S.E.E.S.. By the time Yu reached the end, his voice was wearing, and Rise ran to get him a drink.

Minato was holding Yu’s phone, staring at the picture of the two groups together like it was a lifeline. “I...remember,” he said, very softly. “I made you promise...not to let me forget.” He chuckled weakly. “I think I forgot that it would take two years for you to keep that promise. But you did.”

“Minato-senpai…” Yu began, but Minato passed him his phone back, and his eyes blazed suddenly, sharply gold.

“Elizabeth _knew_ , and she didn’t tell me.”

“Minato…! She couldn’t; it could have changed things!” Slightly louder this time, but the blue-haired boy just ignored him.

“If she wasn’t basically family and could punch me through the floor, I’d turn her black and blue. How do you just not tell someone they’ve forgotten a very significant event?!” It was clear that he didn’t actually mean the threat, since Minato had never shown any particular inclination to hurt _anyone_ , but all of them silently agreed that fighting Elizabeth was probably a bad idea. Still, there was silence for a minute, as everyone tried to figure out what to say, and finally Ryoji offered in a small voice, “...she’s already blue?”

The gold went out of Minato’s eyes like someone had flipped a switch off, and he fixed his boyfriend with the most deadpan look any of them had ever seen. “You are _so_ lucky that I love you.”

Yukiko burst out laughing helplessly, which finally woke Nanako, who looked around at all of them blearily. “Why’s Yukiko-neechan laughing so much?”

“Ryoji-senpai said something funny,” Yu replied easily, and Minato buried his face in his hands.

“You’re all the worst, you know that?”

“Yep.”

The culture festival had gone quite a bit differently than they all had planned, but in the end, it had been fun. Even after multiple labyrinths of nightmares. And with Minato promising to forward the photos to the rest of the former members of S.E.E.S., it looked like they were going to be able to pick up right where they’d left off. 

It really was incredible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The important thing to remember here is that I haven’t finished Persona Q. I’m somewhere in the middle of the Inaba Pride exhibit. X’’’D All I know is that they forget everything at the end. I don’t know who Zen and Rei are yet, so I was a bit vague with parts here, just so I don’t back myself into a corner when I learn the truth. PQ’s plot isn’t the important part anyway, the important part is that Yu remembers and has an itchy shutter-finger. XD
> 
> The space station ended up being a lot more fun once I finally got to start flying out of airlocks. XDDDD And I died to that stupid giant robot boss like four times. I'm still not entirely sure how I survived the last time. Akira came out of the big bang attack with full health even though he'd been low, and I have no idea what happened. X’D It, uh, kind of sucks that the trip to Destinyland got ruined, though. I was expecting something bad, but jfc. (Although I'm surprised it took them 2 days to consider that the "criminal" got to him, instead of it being their fault.)
> 
> In slightly happier news, I maxed Mishima’s social link and approve of his character development. Also I find it infinitely amusing that you can’t do anything fun with Akechi, but it always gives you the option to ask him to leave. As if he’s not going to leave anyway. Hell yeah I picked “Honey, I’m home” when it let me, though. But no one really reacted. :( Ironically enough considering what chapter I'm on, I’ve just finished the culture festival, and really Akechi would be terribly clever about this whole thing if he hadn’t fucked up six months ago. Bad luck, pancake prince. But, uh...I’m not sure if the Thieves noticed. No one has said anything...


	21. November 5th, 2011

Of all the ways to spend a Saturday afternoon, Yu hadn’t been planning to play nurse. He wasn’t upset, of course, more worried, but it did mean a lot of carefully-worded phone conversations so that Nanako wouldn’t figure out what they were talking about.

“Hold on a sec, I’ll call you back in a little bit,” he told Naoto, setting the phone aside as Nanako returned to the living room in her pajamas. “Do you feel better after a bath?”

Nanako nodded, but her face was still flushed. “I wish it wasn’t so cold outside.”

“You probably picked up a bug at the culture festival. You’ve just got chills right now.” He beckoned her over to sit with him, wrapping a blanket around her. “Anyway, it’ll be spring before you know it.”

“But then you’ll leave.”

Yu frowned. He...would leave, wouldn’t he? The thought was actually troubling. He liked Inaba, despite being determined not to when he’d first arrived. He didn’t want to leave his friends. He’d fallen into the same trap all over again, getting close to people only to have to go and inevitably have them forget him. How could he have been so stupid?

“Onii-chan?” Nanako said, clearly concerned, and it snapped him out of his sudden thought spiral.

He patted her head. “Sorry. I was thinking too hard. But, we’ll just have to spend lots of time together before spring.”

Nanako smiled. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

She insisted she wasn’t tired after that, so Yu stretched out on the couch, letting her lie on his chest and watch TV. When she was engrossed in the Saturday night rerun of last week’s Featherman episode, he picked his phone back up, calling Naoto back and making sure to speak quietly. “Sorry. What were you saying about the note?”

Naoto’s voice was discouraged. _“I tried every technique I could think of, but there’s just no way to identify who sent it. I...feel that I have been concerned about the wrong thing, though. Kanji-kun said that the main worry should be that the murderer knows where you live. I’ve been too focused on analyzing clues, and not worrying about your safety. I’m sorry.”_

“It’s okay,” he countered. “You’re doing the best you can. Kanji’s just worried.”

_“I know, I just… I shouldn’t let my desire to solve this come before my friends.”_

Yu shook his head, even though she couldn’t see, and glanced over at where rain pattered against the windows. “Everything you’ve done with the note is helpful. We haven’t made any progress on finding out who that other silhouette is, either, so you shouldn’t feel bad.”

_“No one specific has been mentioned on TV except in a general sense. Certainly no one with childlike proportions like the one on the Midnight Channel.”_

“We’ll figure it out. Get some rest.”

_“...okay. You too, senpai.”_

Yu set the phone aside, sinking further into the couch. Nanako was dozing against his chest, but it felt like her fever had broken, so he let her be, his thoughts chasing in circles. Who could the murderer possibly be? Who would have had the audacity to put the note directly in his mailbox? Who was the next figure on the Midnight Channel? There were still too many unanswered questions.

Before he knew it, he’d dozed off as well, and he was woken back up by Dojima returning from work. Yu got ready to greet him, but froze as he saw what was in his uncle’s hand.

“This was in the mailbox,” Dojima said. It was a plain envelope, with Yu’s name on the front. The same as the other. Yu took it with shaking fingers, and Nanako stirred, climbing off of him and heading for the kitchen to get a drink.

“Hi, dad. You’re back late,” she said as she passed him, but he was staring at Yu.

Yu looked from him to the letter, nervously. Dojima raised an eyebrow, clearly indicating he wanted Yu to open it, and Yu broke the seal and pulled out the paper folded inside.

_If you don’t stop, the next person to go in and die will be someone you love._

Yu’s eyes widened. This didn’t feel real. Nothing felt real, all of a sudden. He felt like he was a thousand miles away, watching himself through a telescope as his hands began to shake. This wasn’t an order. This was a direct threat, against his friends, against his family. What were they going to do? They didn’t have enough leads, they didn’t have enough time…!

Dojima leaned over, skimming the text. His expression hardened, and he said flatly, “What is this?”

Yu stared at him helplessly. He could say a thousand things, a million, but would anyone believe him? There was no way anyone could understand what he’d been going through for months now.

“I…” His voice locked in his throat, and he swallowed hard, feeling like he was going to choke. He felt cold all over, the letter crumpling as his fists clenched.

Dojima’s gaze never wavered, and he said, “We have to take that letter to the station. And you’re going to tell me what you’ve gotten yourself into. Now.”

There was no arguing, and Yu got to his feet like a robot. Everything was falling apart. What was he supposed to do?

Nanako watched them from the kitchen door, looking worried. “Dad? Onii-chan?”

“It’s okay, Nanako. We’ll be back soon,” Dojima said, patting her on the head as they walked by. She clutched her water bottle, but watched them go silently.

***

Yu didn’t say a word, all the way to the station, but sitting in his uncle’s office with Dojima frowning at him and Adachi hovering in the doorway like a nervous bird that wouldn’t land somewhere, he tried to explain everything. Shadows, dungeons, personas, saving the kidnapping victims… He kept talking and talking, feeling like he was bleeding out as the words spilled out of him. He hadn’t realized how much he’d needed to tell someone, until he was finally doing it. Talking things over with his friends was fine, but letting an adult in on this secret, someone who could help them, was a welcome relief. Because he was finally starting to think that they might be in over their heads.

Adachi and Dojima just stared at him with varying expressions of uncertainty, and when Yu finally ran out of words, Dojima shook his head. “...I thought you trusted me.”

“W-What?”

“I thought you could at least tell me the truth. Why would you concoct a story like this?” Dojima sat back in his chair, rubbing his eyes.

Yu stared at him, feeling his stomach constrict. He’d known Dojima wouldn’t believe him, but to hear it so bluntly… To hear the life-threatening situations they’d been in being dismissed as little more than a fantasy he’d invented, it hurt. He could feel himself shutting down, throwing up the walls that his torrent of words had dismantled, but the sound of his watch beeping grabbed his attention. It was midnight. They were supposed to be watching the Midnight Channel.

A minute ticked by, and his phone started ringing. Mechanically, he pulled it out of his pocket, noting Naoto’s name on the caller ID, and with a half-glance to his uncle, answered it.

“Hey, we’re not done--” Dojima started, but Yu didn’t hear him, too absorbed in Naoto’s voice.

_“Senpai! It was Nanako-chan on the Midnight Channel!”_

“No…” he said, disbelieving. “She hasn’t been on TV!”

_“It was that report the other day. A newspaper tracked down which student was mentioned, and published her name in this evening’s paper. I made a huge mistake, thinking it was only people on the TV. It’s anyone the public is thinking about, visualized in the collective unconscious!”_

“Where are you?” Yu demanded, his voice cracking.

_“Kanji-kun and I are in a taxi. We’re almost to your house. He texted Chie-senpai. She, Rise-chan, and Yukiko-senpai are calling Minato-senpai and Ryoji-senpai. Yosuke-senpai and Teddie were working late at Junes, but we’re calling them next.”_

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Yu hung up the phone, getting to his feet. “I have to go.”

“Hey, you can’t just leave! You have to explain that letter!” Adachi objected, moving to stand in front of the door.

“I _did_ explain that letter!” Yu shouted. “Nanako’s in danger! I have to go!” Desperation tinged his voice, and he lunged for Adachi, but Dojima grabbed his arm.

“What the hell do you mean, Nanako’s in danger?!” Dojima roared. “What are you not telling me?!”

Yu yanked his arm away. “I _did_ tell you! She appeared on the Midnight Channel! She’s going to end up in a dungeon! She’s going to _die_ if we don’t go after her!” he shouted back. “Let me _go!_ ”

Dojima stared at him, prepared to keep arguing, but his phone rang. He pulled it out, never taking his eyes off of Yu, and snapped, “What?!”

_“Dojima-san, this is Shirogane Naoto. We’ve just been to your house, and Nanako-chan isn’t there. Hanamura-senpai said that he’d called her, but she said someone was at the door. We think she’s been kidnapped.”_

Without another word, Dojima hung up on her, dialing the house phone with urgent fingers. It rang and rang, but no one picked up, and he tried over and over. There was no answer.

Yu, meanwhile, sent out a group text to meet at Junes and prepared to leave. But Dojima shoved past him, clearly going to look for Nanako, and Adachi managed to get out the door and slam it in Yu’s face, shutting him in the office.

Yu slammed his fists against the door. “Adachi-san, you have to let me out! Nanako is--!”

“Y-Your uncle wanted you to stay here,” Adachi stammered nervously, and Yu felt himself cracking.

_“Let me out! I have to get to her!”_

“Yu-kun…”

Yu threw his entire weight at the door, and when it didn’t budge, he slumped against it, trying to keep his breathing steady. But panic curled through him like a poison, horror and fear at the thought of losing his cousin, who was completely innocent in all of this. He’d never be able to forgive himself if something happened to her. He leaned his forehead against the wood, trying to breathe past the lump in his throat, but looked up again as he heard frantic footsteps in the hallway.

“Senpai!”

“Narukami-senpai!”

Yu slammed against the door again. “Naoto! Kanji!”

Outside the office, Kanji glared down Adachi furiously. “Move, or I’ll move ya!”

Adachi waffled. “I-I can’t let him out without a reason. H-His uncle said--”

“No, he didn’t!” Yu bellowed from behind the door.

Naoto frowned. “What if I told you that we’ve figured out who the culprit is?” she said shrewdly, and Adachi’s eyes widened.

“You have?” he said, sounding disbelieving.

Naoto nodded. “When we were all kidnapped, we were thrown into the other world right away. That means the kidnapper has the means to enter the other world with him." She was being purposefully vague, but no one asked what those 'means' were. "That means a vehicle large enough to carry such a thing.”

Inside the office, Yu stared at the door in shock. “Like a truck?”

“Yes, like a truck. But it would have to be a vehicle that wouldn’t stick out going to all of the different places,” Naoto said. 

Yu could suddenly see it. Nanako would never open the door for a stranger, especially if no one was home. She was smarter than that. But there was one person she would answer the door for, and that was… “A delivery truck.”

“A...delivery truck?” Adachi said slowly, and then his eyes widened. “W-Wait… Namatame Taro drives a delivery truck now. The guy who moved back here after his affair with Yamano-san got exposed.”

“That’s the connection!” Kanji cried. “If he’s tied to Yamano-san, that’s it, isn’t it?!”

Adachi moved so that the office door could be opened, and Yu practically tumbled into the hallway. The detective stared at all of them strangely for a second, gaze darting between the three of them as if he couldn’t quite believe what they had done, what they had figured out, but then he turned away. “I have to call your uncle. If you happened to leave while I wasn’t paying attention…”

“Thank you, Adachi-san!” Yu gasped, and Naoto grabbed his hand.

“Come on, the taxi is waiting out front. We’ll go to Junes.”

Adachi watched them take off at a dead run down the hallway, then shook his head.

“...get Nanako back. Whatever you do.” Then he pulled out his phone and began to dial.

***

Outside of Junes, Teddie and Yosuke waited on the sidewalk, peering into the rain urgently for any sign of the rest of their friends. Minato and Ryoji were standing back under the awning, hand in hand, and Minato was staring at the ground, the nails of his free hand digging into his palm with worry.

Chie, Yukiko, and Rise dashed up, dripping wet because they’d foregone umbrellas in favor of running as fast as possible. Yosuke’s phone rang as they reached the awning, and he pulled it out quickly. “Yeah, Naoto-kun?”

There was a police siren in the distance. Yosuke stuck his finger in his other ear so he could hear Naoto better over the din and the rain. “Whoa, whoa, slow down. The killer’s driving a delivery truck?”

Everyone turned to stare at him, then into the distance as police lights came into view. It was a single police car, pursuing a delivery truck down the road that led through the shopping district. The team watched in horror as things seemed to go into slow motion. There was a flash of lightning, and the police car jerked and began to hydroplane.

“That’s Dojima-san!” Rise cried. The police car fishtailed, mounting the sidewalk on the other side of the street and slamming into a wall. Yukiko and Teddie screamed, heading for the car, and Yosuke stared at the still-fleeing truck in horror. “He’s going to get away!”

He was shoved roughly to the side, and Minato walked out into the road.

_“Mabufudyne!”_

The entire wet roadway in front of the truck froze into a sheet of ice, and the truck began to slide, skidding into a pole and coming to an abrupt stop. The team stared at Minato with varying degrees of fear, but the blue-haired boy just turned towards Dojima’s car and muttered something else under his breath, a tinge of green visible in the dark for just a moment before dissipating.

A second police car pulled up not a minute later, followed by a taxi that Yu, Naoto, and Kanji piled out of. Adachi ran to Dojima’s car, getting him out and safely onto the ground. “He’s pretty beaten up, but he’ll live. It’s a miracle, considering how hard he hit that wall.”

Yukiko was already calling an ambulance, and Yu checked over his uncle briefly before turning to the truck.

“Minato-senpai, what did you do?” he asked incredulously.

“I broke a rule.” Minato sounded barely-there. “Check the truck. We can still get the guy.” Another gesture, another muffled spell, and the ice between them and the truck melted in a brief flicker of flames. Yu started to ask if he was okay, but Ryoji hurried over and grabbed the other Wild Card in a tight hug, and Yu decided to leave him to it. Instead, he ran for the truck, Naoto and Yosuke a step behind.

The driver’s side door was open, and Namatame was gone. All that was left was the massive flatscreen TV in the back of the truck. Yu tried to lunge for it, but Yosuke caught him under the arms and wouldn’t let him go. “Yu, stop it! If you run in there and get killed, who’s gonna help Nanako?!”

“Nanako!” Yu yelled, his voice breaking. _“Nanako!”_

“There’s a list of the victims here, and where they live,” Naoto said, rooting around in the truck’s cab. “Morooka isn’t on here, though. And he’s written something strange. He’s saying he’s trying to save them.” She began to read from the page. “‘Why would such a young child be on that channel? If nothing else, I have to save this child.’ What on earth…?”

“The list proves it was him, though, right?” Adachi said, and they all looked at him in surprise. He rubbed his head awkwardly. “Yu-kun, your uncle is asking for you.”

Yosuke let him go, and Yu stumbled past Adachi, back towards where his uncle was lying. He could hear the ambulance approaching, and dropped to his knees beside him.

Dojima reached to grasp his hand. “If you weren’t lying…” he said, his voice a rasp. “If it’s all true...you have to save Nanako. Please… She’s...all that makes life worthwhile.”

Yu squeezed his uncle’s hand tightly. “I’ll get her back,” he swore. “If it’s the last thing I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like, ultimately, Adachi did care for Dojima and Nanako in some way. I think the threat letter was just meant to scare Yu into stopping. After all, there's no way he could have predicted that Nanako was going to be the next person on the Midnight Channel, or that she'd nearly die from the fog. And he's a piece of filth, but the way Golden portrays him, the Dojima family might be his only tie to being a better person somewhere deep underneath.
> 
> ...Adachi's dungeon is really sort of a palace, isn't it? A warped vision of how he perceives Inaba, with himself as the person standing above all the small-town people, and even humanity as a whole. I wonder what his treasure would be, if someone tried to change his heart...?
> 
> On that note, the casino was actually pretty fun. I mean, I'd have liked actual dice minigames instead of just rigging them in our favor, but I'm a sucker for gambling minigames. XD The maze was cool, though, and I actually beat the battle arena on my first try. With actually adapting a strategy and not just flailing around. And the boss was cool. ^_^
> 
> ...maybe if you could date Akechi he wouldn't SHOOT YOU IN THE FACE OH MY GOD. I can't believe they showed that. I can't believe that entire plan. There were so many things that could have gone wrong. Holy shit Akira could have been fucking dead and they wouldn't have known until it was too late. I still feel like something's wrong, though. The way Shido and Akechi talk to each other is...off. And if Shido's willing to murder everyone else that's worked for him... (Also what the hell Akechi that was a stone-cold plan to fake a suicide like that. Damn. My knee-jerk reaction is to be like "wow what a fucking psychopath" but for some reason I still feel like I'm missing something about him. The Hell Train barrels onward.)
> 
> Also, wow, thanks for the support, Velvet Squad. You're remarkably unconcerned about Akira escaping death by a narrow margin. jfc y'all are weird this time around.


	22. November 9th, 2011

It had only been four days, and things were already starting to wear down.

“We have to go back in today,” Yu said firmly, staring around at his team as they met in the Junes food court after school. 

The rest of them couldn’t help but looked disappointed. “Yu-senpai,” Kanji said awkwardly, “I know it’s important to get through the dungeon so we can save Nanako-chan, but we’re tired. Really tired.”

“We’ve been in the dungeon every day this week, _and_ we have school. We need a night to rest or something,” Chie sighed. “We’re sorry, Yu-kun, but it’s too much. We’re gonna collapse.”

Yu frowned. “Anyone who needs to stay back can, then. I’m still going to go.” He didn’t know what else to do with himself. The idea of doing anything other than working to rescue Nanako left a sour taste in his mouth. And going home to an empty house, the silence was driving him crazy. Dojima was in the hospital with a major concussion, cracked ribs, a fractured leg… Yu was certain that if not for a certain someone’s healing, his uncle might be dead. As it was, he was confined to observation and bed rest, and wasn’t going to be allowed to return home for a long time. So it was just Yu, with nothing to distract him from his thoughts tearing him to pieces.

“S-Sensei,” Teddie said hesitantly. “It’s all of us. We all need a break. It was beary hard to summon our personas yesterday. B-But you can’t go by yourself!”

Yu looked around at all of them, who were looking at him with varying pleading expressions. Except Naoto, who was doing something on her phone. He bit his lip, redirecting his angry gaze down at his yakitori. “We can’t _all_ take a break. We have to keep making some kind of progress, or Nanako--!” He couldn’t even bring himself to say it. But he knew what would happen if they didn’t succeed. The fog would dissipate, the shadows would go berserk, and anyone inside the television world...would die. And there was no telling when that would happen.

Naoto raised a hand suddenly in a wave, and when Yu turned to look, he spotted Minato weaving between the other tables towards them, hands in his pockets and head bowed. His eyes widened, as he realized what he could do if his team needed rest, and as Minato reached them he said quickly, “Minato-senpai, I’m glad you’re here. Can you--”

But the other boy simply grabbed him by the arm, hauling him to his feet and starting to drag him away from the table.

“Hey!” Yu objected, trying to yank his arm away, but Minato’s grip tightened almost to the point of being painful, and he was forced to follow or fall over.

The rest of the Investigation Team shot to their feet, prepared to follow as well, but Minato stopped long enough to shake his head sharply, and they backed down. Ever since that night they’d all seen him freeze the roadway solid, they’d been a bit more wary of their mentor. Naoto was the only one who seemed unfazed, instead looking vaguely apologetic.

_Sorry, senpai. But you’re not going to be any help if you wear yourself to the bone._

***

Minato dragged him all the way down the street to the Velvet Room door, swinging it open and tossing him inside as if he was no more than a ragdoll. Yu stumbled into the limo’s bench, watching in confusion as Minato slammed the door and put his hand against it. “W-What are you doing?” Where were Margaret and Igor? Something was clearly wrong with Minato.

“Breaking another rule,” Minato said shortly. He pushed the door open again, but this time it led to another blue room, and he grabbed Yu’s arm once more and dragged him into this new room instead.

“You said I wasn’t supposed to see anything other than mine, though,” Yu said, looking around with wide eyes. It was a blue elevator, though it wasn’t moving, and the gates at the back stood half-open. There was a single desk with a chair on either side of it, and Minato walked around the desk to take one, pointing at the other.

“Sit.”

Yu sat, absentmindedly rubbing the sore spot on his arm. Minato folded his hands on the desktop, looking ridiculously like Igor, and glared at Yu. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, clearly disapproving.

“I don’t… What do you…” Yu blinked, not understanding why the other Wild Card looked so unhappy with him.

“You’re grinding your team down. What kind of leader does that?” Minato said flatly. “Do you even understand the consequences of charging ahead day after day?”

Yu looked anywhere but at Minato. “I’m just… We need to get Nanako back before anything happens to her. I can’t leave her there!”

“No one is asking you to leave her there.” Minato scowled. “If the television world is anything like Tartarus, it’s taking a lot out of you. What do you think is going to happen if you keep plowing ahead until you’re sick and exhausted? Someone will slip, someone will run out of power, someone will _die_. And even if they don’t, if you ignore your team’s state, they’ll stop trusting you. _You will drive them away._ Do you understand?”

“I--” Yu flinched as though he’d been slapped, hunching in his chair. “I...understand…”

Minato’s expression softened, and understanding filled his eyes. “That’s yours, then…” he murmured to himself. How interesting. But he simply said to Yu, “I’m not trying to be mean, Yu-kun. I know what I’m talking about.”

Yu nodded weakly. “S.E.E.S.’s field leader,” he said quietly. “You’re right. I shouldn’t push them so hard.” He visibly collected himself, sitting back up and glancing down as his arm twinged again. “How did you do that, earlier? You were like a vice. It wasn’t normal.”

Minato sighed. “Charge. I wasn’t sure if it would manifest like I intended, but everything worked out. I almost tried tarukaja, though.”

“You’re breaking a lot of rules,” Yu said bluntly.

“Only one of those rules wasn’t mine to start with,” Minato countered. “Don’t backtalk, kohai. I’m not the one that needed a reminder that people get tired.”

He really couldn’t argue against that, so he didn’t. “I’ll apologize to them all tomorrow. I’m just...so worried about Nanako, I feel like I can’t think straight. And the house being empty isn’t helping. I have too much time to worry.”

Minato got up from behind the desk, coming over to put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m coming over to fix you dinner. You look like you haven’t had a decent meal since the other night, and that should help with your empty house problem, right?”

“You don’t have to,” Yu said, even though he knew Minato would do it anyway. So he changed the subject, and asked, “How did you know to come?”

“Shirogane-kun texted me. She’s been worried about you, and thought you needed a pep talk.” Minato chuckled, beckoning Yu to follow him back out of the blue elevator. “Your friends care about you a lot.”

“I know they do.” He’d let himself get blinded by fear. Only now, having been metaphorically slapped across the face, could he think back on their drawn expressions and feel bad about how he’d been pushing them. “Thanks for coming, Minato-senpai.”

Minato glanced back over his shoulder, offering a smile. “I can’t help a lot, but I’ll do whatever I can. Now come on, let’s go before Elizabeth notices I called the elevator back.”

The idea of having to deal with Elizabeth when he was already nearing emotional wreckage spurred Yu to walk faster, and he followed Minato out of the Velvet Room and back towards his house without complaint. Hopefully tonight would be easier, now that he wasn’t going to be alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might not have that mechanic where you get sick or whatever if you spend too much time in a dungeon, but Minato’s going to kick your ass anyway, Yu.
> 
> So I’m probably not going to write the Kunino-Sagiri boss fight. I know it’s important and I know there’s some lore bits I either want to try to emphasize or rework entirely (mostly because Izanami’s overall plan still confuses me to some degree), but wow do I not like writing fight scenes. A nice philosophical discussion in the hospital afterwards would work just as well, yeah? X’’’’’DD
> 
> Meanwhile, onboard a certain palace...the kids are a bit dumb, aren’t they? Or at least, they haven’t watched enough mafia movies. You guys should be able to guess what a “cleaner” means in the context of important allies, but okay, I suppose. Don’t blame anyone but yourselves when you walk face-first into the assassin and get caught off-guard, since I’m pretty sure he’s in the palace now. (I’m going to try to be a little more vague about spoilers from here on out, at least in the author notes themselves. Last chapter was a bit of a fluke, because I got...a bit upset. X’D)


	23. November 22nd, 2011

The hospital had spent the better part of half a week chasing the Investigation Team out of the ICU hallways and waiting rooms at the end of visiting hours, and everyone on both ends was honestly getting a little tired of it. Repeated explanations of hospital policy and the fact that sleeping overnight in the waiting rooms wasn’t allowed were just serving to make both sides cranky and irritable.

Tonight, after much whining and complaining, everyone had finally gone home except for Yu, who had gotten an exception made for him since his entire family was in the hospital. He sat on the bench outside the ICU, elbows on his knees and head bowed. Nanako had finally regained consciousness today, and they’d been allowed to visit her and make sure she was doing better.

He was pretty sure he could thank Minato for at least part of how quickly they’d been able to get to her. When the team had finally returned to the dungeon after Minato knocked some sense into him, the floor that they’d been prepared to tackle was clear, and not a single shadow had hindered them as they’d moved on to the next. Whatever the Universe had done, it had scared the daylights out of every shadow on the floor.

But in the end, it hadn’t been enough. Namatame had made a hundred excuses that throwing people into the TV had been to ‘save’ them, and then had transformed into a truly massive shadow that they had barely managed to defeat. Only a last-second fusion to call the great dragon Kohryu had saved them from killing each other through brainwashing. And Nanako had fallen unconscious almost as soon as they left the television world, and both Yu and Teddie were afraid that she’d breathed too much of the fog. She’d been ill anyway, and being so young, it was likely any resistance she would have had to the presence of shadows was too weak.

The sound of footsteps approached from down the hallway, and Yu glanced up, expecting another nurse on their nightly rounds. But he blinked in confusion as he saw Margaret coming down the hall, hand in hand with Lavenza.

“She was worried about your cousin,” Margaret said by way of explanation, when they were close enough. “We all were. Minato-san informed us of what happened.”

Lavenza looked at the door to the ICU, brow furrowed with worry. “Is Nanako-chan sleeping?”

Yu nodded. “Yeah. She woke up earlier today, though, so that’s a good sign.”

He was just parroting what the doctors had said, essentially, but Lavenza smiled. “That’s good! Can… Can you give her this for me, Yu-san?” She held out something sparkly, and when Yu took it, he realized it was a hairclip with a glittery blue butterfly on it.

“I’ll make sure she gets it,” he said, tucking it safely into the bag he had with him. “Sit with me a while, both of you? As long as the nurses won’t notice you, I guess.”

“It will be fine,” Margaret assured him. She took a seat, and Lavenza hopped up to sit beside her. “You look as though you have questions. I will answer what I can.”

“Of course I have questions,” Yu said. “You know what happened when we fought Namatame?” He’d long-since accepted that Margaret and Igor knew all about what happened to him in the television world, even when no one was there that could report back to them. “What happened to him? That _thing_ wasn’t his shadow. His shadow never appeared.”

Margaret shook her head. “You are correct. His shadow would have manifested, under normal circumstances, the way that Kubo-kun’s did. But he was instead possessed by a force greater than himself. The creature you fought was called Kunino-Sagiri, and is but one part of a larger whole.”

“What kind of larger whole?” Yu asked incredulously.

“We do not know, unfortunately. The residents of the Velvet Room are not omniscient.”

Yu frowned, trying to think. “But why possess Namatame? Unless… He’s not like Ryoji-senpai, is he?!”

“Certainly not.” Margaret looked mildly offended at the very idea. “Circumstances like Ryoji-kun’s do not happen. The fact that he lives at all is impossible, and is likely only because of the power that Minato-san obtained.”

“And because Minato-san loves him a lot,” Lavenza added.

“That, too.” Margaret sighed. “No, Namatame was simply unlucky, and did not awaken to his potential before the opportunity was taken away from him. If a being of consciousness, be it shadow or persona, is strong enough, it can overwhelm the host rather quickly, and Namatame was weak in comparison to you and your friends.”

“But Namatame had potential, and could go into the TV. Was he a Wild Card?” Yu asked. “Because I’m the only one of us who can open the TV, and that’s the only thing that’s different between me and my friends.”

“He was not a Wild Card. The master of my master does not give out such power offhandedly,” Margaret said serenely, and Yu figured he wasn’t going to get anything else out of her on that subject. He had a feeling even the Wild Cards themselves didn’t necessarily understand all of their power.

He sighed. “I guess we just have to wait for Namatame to wake up. But seriously, how far gone do you have to be to think that killing people is saving them? He had to have known that pushing Yamano-san and Saki-san into the TV is what killed them.”

Margaret laid a fond hand on his shoulder. “I trust that you will find the truth in the end. Your road is not over yet.” She glanced down the hall, where the sound of the night security heading their way could be heard, and got to her feet. “We should be going, but please take care of yourself, Yu-kun. Do not stay up all night.”

“Minato-senpai will kick my ass if I try that again,” Yu said wryly.

Lavenza got up and gave him a hug as well. “I hope Nanako-chan gets better soon,” she said earnestly.

Yu smiled. “Me too.”

He watched them leave, and when they were no longer in sight, he stretched out on the bench and tried to rest. But there were too many thoughts still chasing through his head. If that Kunino-Sagiri thing had been just one part of something, was there another part out there? What else could they have to worry about; how could this possibly get worse?

At least the murderer was contained. No one else would be thrown into the TV. When Nanako recovered, the team could reconvene, and focus on this ‘greater whole’.

There was plenty of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Izanami's overall plan is a mess, even if you don't include Marie. Like, basic-level is fine, but when you get to the part where you fight her, I get a little lost. It probably doesn't help that the anime finale doesn't do a very good job of explaining. X'D The wiki doesn't even really explain the point of Kunino-Sagiri.
> 
> So, I, uh...
> 
> I've secured the route to the ship's treasure.
> 
> I'm not okay.
> 
> I'm already plotting fic in my head.
> 
> Because NO.


	24. December 3rd-4th, 2011

“Nanako! _Nanako!_ ”

Yu wasn’t in the habit of getting phone calls from anyone but his friends this close to midnight, but when Adachi’s number had appeared, he knew something had to be wrong. And it turned out to be the worst thing he could think of. Nanako’s condition had declined sharply. The Investigation Team had all been camping at Yu’s house in post-exam relief, and they had been ready to go in a matter of minutes, piling into the taxi Rise called and heading for the hospital.

And that was where Yu was now, beside his cousin’s hospital bed, desperately begging her not to give up.

“We promised, right?” he said desperately, oblivious to the doctors hovering around. “We promised we’d build snowmen, and make cocoa, and sit under the kotatsu. Nanako, please.”

“Onii-chan…” she said weakly, her eyes fluttering.

“Your dad’s coming,” he begged. “Just a few more minutes. Nanako…!”

But the heart monitor was beeping slower and slower, and he watched in growing horror as his cousin’s eyes fell shut and the monitor’s tone settled to a continuous whine.

He didn’t even hear the doctors anymore. Everything sounded like it was coming from too far away. Pain rose like a tidal wave, and he dropped to his knees, staring at Nanako in shock. She couldn’t be dead. She couldn’t be the only one that he hadn’t been able to save. It wasn’t right; it wasn’t _fair!_

The doctors filed out, slowly, giving him some privacy, and in their absence the door opened and Minato and Ryoji slipped in. “Yu-kun? Yu-kun, the others said that…” But Minato trailed off, eyes widening as he took in the scene.

As Yu clutched the blankets in shock Minato practically flew across the room and laid one of his hands over Nanako’s.

_“Samarecarm, patra, baisudi, diarahan…”_ It would have sounded like nonsense if any of the doctors had still been there, but Minato just kept repeating them, fingers convulsing with anguish as the usual feeling he got when using his magic didn’t come. He finally whirled around to look at his partner, saying desperately, “Ryoji--!”

The other boy started forward towards the bed, but hearing his name seemed to have woken up Yu from his shocked haze, because he lurched to his feet and lunged for Ryoji.

“Bring her back!” he shouted, curling his fists into Ryoji’s scarf and shaking him. “You said you were Death! So _bring her back!_ ”

Ryoji’s eyes were filled with shock and despair, and he shook his head. “I… I can’t… I’m not…” He looked at Minato for help, and the other boy came over to pry Yu’s fingers loose.

“He isn’t connected to Nyx anymore. His position as Death is no longer dominion.” Minato’s tone was regretful, and his hands were trembling where they held Yu’s. “I tried to heal her, but…”

“I can’t lose Nanako. I can’t. I _can’t._ ” He couldn’t even cry, too shocked and angry for tears, but he let Minato hold onto his hands, keeping him from reaching for Ryoji again, or just sinking to the floor.

The scarf-clad boy stepped away from them, to Nanako’s bedside, and sank down on the far side of the bed to slip his hand into hers. When Dojima burst in a moment later, raw with pain and furious about what had happened to his daughter, he only saw the two boys still standing, crumpling at his daughter’s bedside as if Ryoji wasn’t even there.

“We should go back to the others,” Minato said softly, and what he didn’t say was _we should give Dojima a moment alone_. He herded Yu towards the door, carefully, when Yu glanced up and mumbled something. “Hm?”

“What about Ryoji?” Yu asked, and his voice was toneless, bleak, like he didn’t really care but wanted to ask anyway.

Minato, too, glanced back at where his boyfriend was being ignored. “It’s all right. He’s just enough shadow that they won’t pay him any mind.” His voice trembled, just a bit, and his grip on Yu’s hands tightened. That familiar anxiety, that familiar fear of the people he cared about dying, began to well up, but he tamped it down determinedly. He needed to be the strong one right now, because Yu couldn’t.

Yu didn’t bother to ask why Ryoji was staying behind. He didn’t want to bother with much of anything. Nanako was dead. Nanako had been murdered. And the bastard that had murdered her was still alive.

When they stumbled into the hall, the rest of the team was there, crying. They’d all heard Yu’s outburst, and Dojima’s cry of despair. Even Adachi looked shocked at what had happened, wringing his hands anxiously.

“God, I’d kill him myself if I could,” he said. “Nanako-chan… She didn’t deserve this.”

Naoto scrubbed at her eyes with her sleeve. “He’s _here_ , isn’t he? They brought him to this hospital.”

They all looked up, abruptly, and Adachi took a step back. “Well, yeah, his room is upstairs, but…”

Yu didn’t wait for him to finish, turning and starting down the hall without another word. His friends gasped, going after him immediately.

“Narukami-kun, where are you going?”

“Yu?!”

“Yu-senpai, wait!”

They dispersed quickly, and soon the only people left in the hallway were Adachi and Minato, staring at the floor in their grief. Adachi finally took a deep breath as Dojima staggered out of the hospital room, hoisting the detective’s arm over his shoulder and preparing to take him back to his room.

As he passed Minato, he patted him sympathetically on the shoulder, and the boy jumped as if he’d been shocked. Neither adult paid him any mind, but Minato whirled around to watch them go, confused and uncertain. Had that been…?

No. No, that was impossible. There was no such thing. You couldn’t have the _opposite_ of limitless potential. That would just be...nothing. Emptiness.

Minato pressed shaking hands over his eyes, taking a shuddering breath. Too much at once. Overwhelmed. False positive. He couldn’t shut down over this; the team was going to need help. He was stronger than he had been the last time someone important to him had died. And _someone_ needed to answer for this. He headed for the hospital entrance, knowing he needed air. Hopefully they would be okay, just for a little while.

...what was it about December 3rd, that bad things always seemed to happen?

***

The silence of Nanako’s hospital room was broken by the sound of the door, and Teddie walked in slowly, his eyes filled with tears as he took in the sight of her, the machines disconnected and the oxygen mask cast aside. “Nana-chan…”

Ryoji glanced up, sympathetic. “Teddie… I’m sorry; I know you two were close.”

Teddie came over and sank to his knees beside the bed, across from Ryoji. The tears finally spilled over, and he hid his face in his hands. “This is all my fault,” he said. “I should have sniffed out where she was faster. What kind of useless bear am I?”

“Hey, don’t do that. You did your best. You all did,” Ryoji said. “I know Yu-kun wouldn’t blame you.”

Teddie wiped his eyes as best he could. “I know what I am now,” he said sadly, staring at Nanako’s peaceful face with a broken expression.

Ryoji still didn’t let go of her hand, but his blue eyes were soft, unsurprised by the confession. “You’re like me. I’ve known for a while now.”

“I’m _not_ ,” Teddie said, and his voice cracked. “You’re human. And I’m…”

“Equally as human as me,” Ryoji finished. “I’m _not_ fully human. That’s why they haven’t kicked me out of here; I’m just enough shadow that I can go unnoticed in normal space, if I wish to.” He tilted his head, watching the skinny blond. “But I will say, we aren’t the same. My soul was formed from coexisting with Minato. You’ve gained an ego and a soul all on your own. It’s incredible, really.”

Teddie’s eyes filled with tears. “But what if I hurt Nanako by being around her? She couldn’t handle the atmosphere in the TV, and I came from there, so…”

Ryoji frowned, his voice unintentionally sharp as he countered, “ _No_ , no, Teddie. That’s not how it works.” Softer, he continued, “I promise. You didn’t do this. Namatame did.”

“I…”

“Take some time,” Ryoji said. “Figure out what you’re feeling. And then come back. Your friends will be worried.” He smiled kindly. “They won’t hate you. I promise.”

Teddie nodded, but he didn’t look convinced. “Okay… Thank you, Ryoji-senpai.” He squeezed Nanako’s hand, then got up, shaking his head. “I’m...going to go think.”

Ryoji nodded. “Take care of yourself.” He watched Teddie leave, and sighed. He knew that feeling: the fear that you were going to hurt the people you cared about. Teddie just needed time to process everything. There was nothing behind him driving him towards a future he didn’t want. His fate was in his own hands, and Ryoji knew that his friends would never turn him away. Things would be just fine.

***

Before they could even enter Namatame’s room, there was a crash, and the team charged inside to find that he had fallen after attempting to climb through the open window.

“What the hell?” Yosuke said. “Was he trying to escape?”

Namatame flinched from the sight of them all, scrambling back against the wall. He buried his head in his arms, breath shallow and panicked, and Naoto tilted her head curiously. “I wonder why. Running would only make him look guilty. As it stands, how can they prove he killed anyone? His methods are, to the general public, impossible.”

The team’s expressions shifted to slowly dawning horror. “..are you saying he’s gonna get away with this?” Kanji said coldly.

“I don’t know,” Naoto admitted. “But this seems like the sort of thing that would be very hard to prosecute.”

As they all stood there, struggling to process that the murderer could potentially get away with some of his crimes, midnight hit, and the Midnight Channel flared into being on the room’s large TV. Namatame appeared there, laughing and taunting them.

_“I’ll just keep killing people. No one will ever figure out how I did it; no one will believe a bunch of stupid kids!”_

The real Namatame’s head jerked up, and he stared at the TV with wide eyes. “N-No! That’s not true! I--!”

Yu’s fist’s clenched involuntarily. “Nanako is _dead_ because of you!” he said furiously. “Everything that’s happened has been your fault!”

“She’s… She’s dead…?” Namatame somehow managed to look even more ill and afraid than he already did. “No… How could… How could I have failed _now?_ ”

“Shut up!” Yu shouted, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him towards the TV, which had gone dark again. “Don’t even act surprised! You took her in there and it killed her!”

“If he’s not going to be punished, we might as well just do it ourselves,” Yosuke said coldly.

“S-Senpai, wait--!” Rise said hesitantly. “You wouldn’t really…”

Yu slammed Namatame up against the TV, and his shoulders sank into the screen. It would be so easy to just push him in and forget about him, to let him get killed by the shadows that he’d let kill other people.

“It wasn’t me, I was just trying to save them!” the man babbled, scrambling for a grip on the edges of the dresser. Yosuke and Kanji were blocking the others so that they couldn’t stop Yu, and Yu’s eyes narrowed.

“What? You don’t want to go in and die like the others?”

But suddenly, he froze. What was he saying? He sounded like that letter he’d gotten. He sounded like the _murderer_. His grip slackened, and Namatame slid to the floor, taking the opportunity to scramble away and huddle into the corner.

“Yu, what the hell?” Yosuke demanded. “Are you really just going to let him go?!”

“We can’t. If we shove him in the TV, we’ll be just like him,” Yu said flatly.

“Yu!”

_“No.”_

Everyone was silent for a long moment, trying to recenter themselves, and finally Yu took a deep breath and turned to Namatame. “Something is wrong,” he said, now that he’d remembered the strange letters. “If you’re so convinced you’re saving people, why send me a letter telling me to _stop_ saving people? Isn’t that a contradiction?”

“Letter?” Namatame said, confused. “I’ve never sent any letters. I didn’t even know who you were until you came after me.”

Yu frowned, and sank to the floor to sit in front of their presumed-culprit. “Tell us everything. From the beginning.”

“Y-You won’t believe me.”

“We will. We’re the only ones who can.”

***

When Minato stormed into the Velvet Room lounge, Elizabeth took one look at the expression on his face and turned to her brother.

“Theo, fetch your guest,” she ordered.

Theodore frowned at Minato, but complied, heading out the far door without complaint. When Minato looked that upset, they really did need his sister to help calm him down. Much as they wanted to help, they weren’t human. They were usually still too unfamiliar with the world outside the Velvet Room to fully understand whatever was bothering him.

Igor regarded the Universe with a placid expression. “What seems to be troubling you?”

“Nanako is _dead,_ ” Minato spat, and Elizabeth gasped.

“That’s so sudden,” she said. “Was she not doing better? My sisters reported that her condition was stable.”

“Apparently she took a sudden turn for the worst.” Minato sank down on the couch, gripping his knees to try to stop his hands from shaking. “This shouldn’t have happened…”

“Minato-san, I’m sure you did all you could…”

“We should have done _more!_ ” Minato yelled. “This shouldn’t have happened!” He crumpled in on himself, hunching over on the couch and clutching his head with both hands. “Nanako was a little girl; she shouldn’t have even been involved! We should have cleared that whole dungeon for them!”

Igor watched him serenely from his armchair. “You know very well that you could not do that. Our current guest must face his own trials, or he will not be strong enough when the end comes.”

“What would you know? You just sit back and watch!” Minato snarled, before realizing what he’d said and who he’d said it to. His anger was promptly tempered by fear at how Igor was going to react, but the Velvet Room’s master simply shook his head.

“You feel grief so strongly. You always have, but you have grown better at expressing it.” He sounded almost _proud_ , and Minato wanted to scream.

But he choked down the wail that threatened to break through, and instead said, “I… Why couldn’t I help her? Why didn’t my spells work? Is two miracles all that I get? I’m the _Universe_. Why can’t I fix this?”

“Minato!” Hamuko dashed into the lounge, practically vaulting the couch to get to her brother. “Minato, are you okay? What happened?”

Minato spared a grateful glance to Theodore, hovering in the doorway, and then threw his arms around his sister, clutching desperately at her shirt. Hamuko, despite being startled, hugged him back, looking to Igor and Elizabeth for an explanation as Minato buried his face into her shoulder.

Whatever had hurt her brother, she was going to kick its ass.

***

By the time Namatame had exhausted his entire story, most of the team was sitting on the floor in various degrees of shock.

“So all of this was some insane misunderstanding,” Chie said incredulously. “You thought you were saving people because _we_ were saving people. Oh my god.”

“Y-You see?” Namatame said, still hunched in his corner. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t kill anyone.”

“What was that on the TV then?” Yukiko asked.

Naoto was wringing her hat between her hands. “It was us,” she said lowly. “The Midnight Channel is a window to what people are thinking. And the strongest thoughts were us. Believing he was a killer.”

Everyone felt the weight of shame pressing down on them. If their leader hadn’t refused to throw Namatame into the TV, they might have never known the truth. At least now they were one step closer.

Eventually, Yu got up. “It’s late. We need to go home, and then we need to think. The real murderer is _still_ out there.” He spared the barest glance for Namatame as everyone else got to their feet. “Don’t expect an apology. Nanako is still dead, intentional or not.”

Namatame just shook his head, burying his face in his knees again. No one else really looked at him as they filed out of the room, planning to just return to Yu’s house and collapse and grieve. It was almost two in the morning and there was nothing more that they could do tonight. No matter how much they wished otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a little sketchy about how to title this chapter since it's partially in both days. And I know normal people don't run on Majora's Mask time like I do half the time. XDDD
> 
> No one is okay. The Team literally only hasn't collapsed emotionally because they're too angry and tired. And there’s still not a lot that can rattle Minato, but people he cares about dying or being in danger of dying will get him every time. (And everyone lives in just the smallest amount of fear of offending Igor. X’D)
> 
> Speaking of offending Igor, I have never in my life seen him so bleak as he was post-seventh-deadline. I am incredibly uncomfortable for so many reasons right now. But the security pillars have blue butterflies when I disarm them, so I guess everything isn't completely terrible. But I'm sitting in the last save room before the bottom of the last area and I'm literally just waiting for people to give up the TV so I can go back in, because I feel like shit is about to go down. (And shit I think they just decided to watch a movie that will go past midnight. -_-)
> 
> I wish I'd managed to max more confidantes. My only party members maxed are Morgana, Makoto, and Futaba. :/ Oh well. I'll have more time in NG+ since it carries over social stats and I won't have to waste days and days at the diner. X'D


	25. December 5th, 2011

There was no one in Aika’s restaurant but the Investigation Team. When they’d all filed in around lunchtime, looking flat and morose, she’d had a word with the owners and closed the store, giving them an opportunity to eat without worrying about anyone else coming in.

“Word gets around,” she’d said, when Yu asked how she knew something was wrong.

He’d just thanked her, and after the staff delivered their food and retreated into the back of the restaurant, they sat in silence, eating their nikudon. The only person not present was Ryoji. According to Minato, he’d refused to leave the hospital, staying with Nanako for reasons he refused to explain to anyone, including his boyfriend. So they grieved without him, trying to cope with the knowledge that they still didn’t have the murderer pinned to a board.

“We’re missing something.” Yu stared into his food. “We’ve got the clues, they’re just not fitting together properly.”

Naoto picked at her rice. “The best thing we could do is lay out everything that we know. The killer is in Inaba. There has to be someone who fits all the criteria.”

“And what are we gonna do when we find him?” Yosuke grumbled. “You’re the one who said Namatame wouldn’t be able to be convicted. This guy won’t be any better.”

“There’s no guarantee a case can’t be made…” Naoto said carefully.

Rise huffed, pointing accusingly at the detective. “Don’t do that! Kanji-kun and Yosuke-senpai were trying to stop us from getting to Yu-senpai, and you weren’t doing _anything!_ You were just watching! You wanted him pushed in!”

Naoto ducked her head shamefully. “I… Fine, I did. I thought that he deserved it, after putting so many people in so much danger. I was just as taken in with the idea of him as the murderer as the rest of you. Is that what you want to hear?! That I would have been fine if he died?!”

“The murderer _does_ deserve it,” Kanji said roughly. “I wouldn’t feel bad if the bastard died, either.”

“But we almost killed an innocent person because we made a mistake! If Narukami-kun hadn’t stopped, we would have murdered him!” Chie exclaimed. “Isn’t that exactly what happened to Namatame? There was a miscommunication, he interpreted something wrong, and he almost killed a lot of people! And because of us, he didn’t have any reason to think what he was doing wasn’t working.”

“Then we just have to make sure we get the right guy first,” Kanji said stubbornly, and Yukiko elbowed him.

“Stop it! We’re not killing anyone.”

Yu got up, setting his chopsticks down beside his half-eaten bowl and heading for the door. “I need to think. And I can’t do it with all of you bickering. Calm down, while I’m gone.” He disappeared through the door into the foggy afternoon, leaving the rest of the team to look at each other guiltily. What was done was done. There was really no more point in fighting over it. 

From his spot at the corner table, Minato frowned at all of them. “I expected better of you,” he said bluntly, and they all jumped. “Your purpose was to find the truth, not seek vengeance.” He got up, setting his empty bowl on the counter and following Yu.

***

At the hospital, they’d moved Nanako’s body to another room, her small hands folded over her chest with a tiny bundle of flowers. And Ryoji sat at her side, where he’d been since that moment two days prior. The nurses that occasionally passed through still didn’t see him, and that suited him just fine. He was going to stay here, until that spark of life he could feel went out, or until Nanako was okay again.

He didn’t want to tell them, though, in case the spark did fade. Especially not Minato and Yu. Losing Nanako once had been hard enough, but to give them hope, and then crush them again? There would be nothing crueler.

He was dozing against the wall when he sensed the unfamiliar presence, and when he rubbed his eyes and focused he saw Marie crossing the room towards him. She stopped beside the table that held Nanako’s body, and as he levered himself to his feet, she said, “Elizabeth told me, but I didn’t really believe it.”

“I don’t think any of us do, really,” Ryoji replied, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Marie glanced at him, head tilted curiously. “Why are you here, when none of the rest of them are? Don’t tell me you’re actually acting as Death.”

Ryoji shook his head. “No. I… Listen, you can’t tell any of them, but there’s still life in her. But it’s choking. There’s something in her system, smothering it like a blanket, and even Minato’s healing can’t get through it.”

“She went into the television world,” Marie said, and there was an odd tone to her voice. “She breathed the concentrated fog, and it is smothering the life from her, with no potential and no experience to protect her.”

She lifted her hand, laying it on Nanako’s forehead, and Ryoji took a step back in surprise as her left eye flared a bright, poisonous green. “Let the fog return to me, where it belongs.”

“To you?” But Ryoji’s eyes widened in shock as there was a sudden feeling, like an invisible shockwave, and then Marie stepped back, lowering her hand.

“What...did I…?” she said. 

Ryoji stared at her, confused and mildly afraid, but was then distracted as the spark he’d felt before flickered, growing brighter in his awareness. He spun to look at Nanako in disbelief, and his mouth dropped open as he saw her fingers twitch. “Nanako!” He almost tripped over his own feet as he darted closer, slipping his fingers into hers. He could barely manage base level spells in normal space thanks to their bond; he wasn’t Minato by any means, but it would be enough, it had to be enough. _“Dia, dia, dia,_ oh please, _dia…!”_

The choking feeling wasn’t there anymore, the fog that had been killing her was gone, and he could tell that the spell was getting through. “Marie, Marie, get a nurse, get someone, she’s okay--!” But when he looked back over his shoulder, Marie was gone, and he blinked in disbelief for a moment before squeezing Nanako’s hand and taking off running to find a doctor.

***

Outside the restaurant, Yu stared at the cloudy, snowy town and sighed. What would they do? He couldn’t leave things like this. They had to find the truth. He had to know who was responsible for everything they’d been through so far.

“Hey,” Minato said quietly, stepping up beside him. “Your team’s kind of a handful sometimes.”

“Tell me about it,” Yu grumbled. “We have to solve this case. There’s just so little to work with.”

“At least we can narrow things down a little.” Minato stuck his hands in his pockets. “Someone with access to Yamano-san, Saki-san, and Kubo-san. Someone who could get near your house without a problem.”

Yu nodded. Someone in town fit that criteria. It was just a matter of who.

Minato’s phone began to chime, and he pulled it out, frowning at the screen before answering it. “Where have you been? We’ve--- Wait, what?” Absolute confusion filled his expression. “Slow down, you’re talking a million miles an hour and I can’t understand you. Did something happe-- Are you _crying?_ ” He shifted from foot to foot agitatedly. “Just spit it out. In _Japanese_ , not whatever that was supposed to be.”

And then he froze, like a statue. “Ryoji… Are… Are you sure?”

When Ryoji answered, Minato pulled the phone from his ear. “I’m putting you on speaker. Yu’s here.”

 _“Yu-kun!”_ Ryoji’s voice through the phone was choked and so wobbly that it was definitely hard to understand him. But what he said next came through perfectly clearly. _“Nanako’s alive!”_

***

Hospital staff stood no chance against their combined All-Out Attack. They all piled into the new hospital room Nanako had been transferred to, where Dojima was already sitting in a chair by her bedside. She was awake, and could talk a little, and they took turns sitting with her and telling her how glad they were that she was okay. Ryoji even disappeared for a while and returned with Teddie, who burst into tears when Nanako smiled and reached for him.

Minato, after expressing his happiness that Nanako was all right, grabbed his boyfriend and towed him into the hallway.

“What in all realms between mind and matter did you do?” he said disbelievingly. “You conjured a miracle. How did you do it?”

“It wasn’t me,” Ryoji said, shaking his head. His eyes were red from crying, and he sagged against Minato, overwhelmed from the past half an hour. “I cast dia a couple of times after, but I didn’t bring her back. It was Marie.”

“...Marie?” Minato said hesitantly.

“Yeah. She did something… she was talking about controlling the fog…”

Minato considered that, winding his arms around his partner to keep him upright. “I think...we need to talk to Margaret. We’re missing something.”

Ryoji nodded against his shoulder. “Maybe let’s not worry the kids yet, either. This is a miracle. We can just leave it at that.”

The door to Nanako’s hospital room opened, and the team began filing out, followed by Dojima. Yu waved at the two, beckoning them to follow. “We’re going to go talk things over in the waiting room. We have to have enough clues to do this by now.”

Everyone piled into the seating area, including Dojima despite several nurses frowning at him for insisting on moving around with his injuries. Minato surreptitiously threw another diarahan at him, hoping he wasn’t messing up his broken leg even with the crutches he’d been using to maneuver around the hospital. When they were all settled, Yu folded his hands in his lap and looked at them all.

“The killer is someone in Inaba. Someone who can get near my house to plant those letters without it looking suspicious,” he began.

“Someone who got near Yamano-san, the night she disappeared,” Yukiko added.

“Someone who got near Konishi-senpai, after she found the body,” Yosuke said.

“Someone who got near Kubo-kun, to try to silence him,” Rise said.

“Dojima-san,” Chie asked, “where was the last anyone saw Konishi-senpai? We know Yamano-san was last seen at the inn…”

Dojima thought for a moment. “We brought her into the station to ask her a few questions about finding the body, but after that...I was told she had gone home.”

“So she could have conceivably disappeared from the police station,” Naoto said bluntly. “Like Kubo-kun. He told us that he was in an interrogation room when the killer got him.”

Yu felt a chill fall over him as the pieces slowly began to click into place. “Konishi-senpai was last seen at the police station. Kubo was attacked at the police station. Namatame got the idea to try to save people after he spoke to a detective on the phone…” He looked at his uncle, feeling like he already knew, but needing to ask anyway. “Who took Konishi-senpai’s statement about the body?”

Dojima hesitated. “You can’t be suggesting that the person who talked to her is the murderer. Because that was Adachi.”

Yu looked at the floor. Everything was falling into alignment. They were barreling towards an answer that none of them probably wanted, but the truth was right there. They just had to push a little farther. He glanced at Minato, whose expression was some indecipherable combination of shock and confusion and anger, and wondered what the other boy was thinking right now.

“Adachi-san?” Yukiko said, frowning. “Wait… He was there, the night Yamano-san went missing.”

“He was?!”

Yukiko nodded. “He was serving as part of a protection detail, since there were so many press representatives and paparazzi trying to get in.”

“He could have attacked Kubo-kun. And I’ve seen him answering phones at the station before. He could have talked to Namatame,” Naoto said. “But there’s another thing, too. He--”

The door to the waiting room opened, and everyone fell silent as Adachi walked in.

“Hey!” he said brightly, grinning. “I heard the good news! Is Nanako still awake, or did I miss visiting hours?”

They all stared at him, faces like stone, and Naoto said quietly, “Adachi-san, may I ask you something?”

“Huh? What is it?” Adachi came over to stand by the end of one of the sofas, tilting his head curiously.

Naoto fixed him with a piercing gaze. “The night that we caught Namatame, we found the list of victims, and you said that the list proved he was the culprit. Why would you think that, when the police had never treated any of those people after the first two as anything other than regular kidnapping victims?”

Adachi’s eyes widened. “Because… Because Yu-kun mentioned them when he was trying to explain it to his uncle. He talked about saving the victims from some kind of mental world before they could get killed. So the killer had to be responsible for all the victims whether they died or not, right?” There was a hint of a frantic edge to his voice.

Naoto’s eyes narrowed. “And the fact that Namatame has a solid alibi for both the period where Yamano-san went missing, and Saki-san’s disappearance? He couldn’t have gotten into the police station to get to Saki-san or Kubo-kun. But someone we know could.”

“A-Are you suggesting that there’s a killer on the police force?” Adachi gasped. “That’s ridiculous…”

“Is it, Adachi-san?” Yu asked flatly.

Adachi looked around at all of them, staring at him with unfriendly eyes. Even Dojima was frowning, uncertain but angry, and that weird blue-haired kid and his friend that Adachi was positive didn’t actually live anywhere in town. “Why are you all acting like this? Why are you throwing all of this at me? Namatame’s the one who threw them all in the TV; this is all him!”

Silence fell in the aftermath of his outburst, but it was charged. Expectant.

“...threw them in where, Adachi-san?” Yu said, very, very quietly. Behind him, Minato and Ryoji got wordlessly to their feet, moving to stand between Adachi and the double doors that led to the hospital exit. Yu raised an eyebrow. “I talked about the dungeons. But I didn’t ever say _how_ we got there. That seemed a little too weird to try to explain, on top of everything else. I just called it a portal and left it at that.”

“Y-You…” Adachi’s face contorted with anger, and Yu flinched, reaching up to clutch at his chest. His bond with Adachi, the Jester, was burning, twisting, ripping itself apart. He realized that he should have guessed, all along, that Adachi could go into the TV. Hindsight was a blessing and a curse. His bond with Adachi, the court Jester, the _Fool._

_They were the same!_

Except not anymore. The bond warped, with a feeling like someone had wrenched one of his limbs the wrong way, and became something new.

_**Hunger.** _

Adachi took off running, but not towards the exit, as they’d thought. He sprinted farther into the hospital, and the team took off after him. Dojima tried to lurch to his feet as well, but Minato and Ryoji grabbed him before he could topple over.

“Let them, Dojima-san. This isn’t something you can do,” Minato said, helping him back into his chair.

“It’s all true, then? Dungeons, personas, all those weird shadow things?”

Minato glanced at Ryoji, who nodded, and then sat down in another chair. “Let me try to explain…”

***

The Investigation Team followed Adachi’s trail until it dead-ended in an empty patient room with another giant TV. This time, there was no hesitation in going in after him, and Teddie and Rise both began scanning for him immediately after they arrived in the lobby.

“The scent’s coming from the apartments!” Teddie cried, and Rise hummed in agreement.

“The dungeon entrance seems to have formed in Yamano-san’s apartment,” she said, and they wasted no time making their way over there.

As they entered the room, Yu spotted the shadowy figure he’d seen the prior times they’d been in here. But this time, he could make out Adachi’s features on it, and it smiled and disappeared into the red-and-black portal. Yu’s mouth fell open. That shadow had been here the whole time. Was Adachi’s influence over this world so strong that his shadow had started manifesting even without him actually here?

He started towards the portal, but Rise ducked from under Himiko’s visor and grabbed his arm.

“There’s a lot of powerful shadows in there! I’m...I’m sensing Death, even,” she said urgently, and Yu waved the others back. Much as he wanted to charge ahead, they couldn’t risk it.

“That means the Reaper is probably in there. We’ll go back for now. Adachi can’t return from the TV now that we know he’s the murderer; he isn’t getting away,” he said. “We need time to prepare if we’re going in after him.”

Kanji frowned. “I don’t like just leaving him to run amok in here. I’d rather pound his face in now. Can’t we just call Ryoji-senpai to deal with the Reaper?”

“Much as I agree with you, Kanji-kun, I don’t know if we should rely on Ryoji-senpai too much,” Naoto said. She regarded the portal with a skeptical expression. “There’s no guarantee there aren’t multiple Reapers, or something even worse that Adachi has prepared. The dungeon will reflect his mind, which is clearly more warped than our prior rescues. Best to be certain we can take care of ourselves, and then we’ll only have to call for backup if we need it.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Yu said, and Naoto turned faintly pink with the praise.

They returned to the lobby and exited the TV, thankfully appearing back in the hospital and not across town in Junes. When they returned to the waiting room, Dojima was still sitting with Minato and Ryoji, and he looked up and Yu and said bluntly, “He’s escaped into a dungeon, hasn’t he?”

“You believe me now?” Yu asked incredulously.

Dojima sighed. “Adachi talked about throwing people into a television. This kid explained how fog almost killed my daugher. And the other one set a magazine on fire with his mind. I’m pretty much willing to believe anything at this point.”

Yu stared at Minato for a second, and then rolled his eyes. Apparently rules really were made to be broken. “Yes, Adachi’s in the television world. We’re going to prepare, and then go in after him.”

“You kids…” Dojima’s fist clenched. “Just be _careful_. If I have to drag any of you down from telephone poles, I will never, ever forgive you. And your cousin will never recover.”

“We know.” Yu came over, offering him a hand. “We’ll get him. Whatever it takes.”

Dojima took his hand, shaking it firmly. “I’m counting on you.”

Yu grinned, turning to Minato. “I’m going to need some pretty high level fusions. Got any tips?”

Minato returned the smile, getting up and shoving his hands in his pockets.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, this chapter didn't want to _end_. I'm still not sure I'm happy with that last bit. And I realized I accidentally wrote myself into a corner a little, so I had to dodge around that minefield. X''''D At the moment I'm thinking I'm going to skip over most of Magatsu Inaba in favor of _maybe_ doing the Ameno-Sagiri fight? But there will be at least one more chapter before that. The B and C-plots are moving forward too. :P
> 
> I'm starting to take notes for future stuff, and there's a 4-year timeskip between here and P5, so I wanted to ask you guys if there was anything specific you want to see in the interim. I don't have the fortitude to do full stories for Arena or DAN (though there might be at least one chapter of each), but I do want to hit some important stuff like the Shadow Operatives and the Investigation Team reuniting. But if there's anything else... throw some ideas at me.
> 
> And, uh... I'm just gonna link you to the post I made last night at about 2am. Because I'm saved right before the final walkaround, and... I was a sleepy, blubbery mess.
> 
> http://twilightknight17.tumblr.com/post/163936442574
> 
> Hours!Fix-fic is going to be challenging, because there are so many elements that would outright break the game in play. Because like fuck is the Velvet Room going to be subject to a hostile takeover for two years with Minato around. So working around things like that is going to be the really hard part. X'D
> 
> (Also I'm going to lose my mind. I just found out the guy that voiced Akira in English is the same guy who voiced Freddy in a fan-FNAF musical on youtube. Will I ever manage to separate these two game series? Will I ever manage to stop laughing? Tune in next time for probably yet another weird thing that I've learned in the meantime. Oh god.)


	26. December 6th, 2011

A single phone call to the school was enough to get Yu out of going to class for the day. The others went, to keep up appearances, but Yu spent most of Tuesday in the Velvet Room with Minato, Margaret, and Igor, shuffling through the compendium and laying out card after card, figuring out the best combinations to help keep them all alive.

“Something with mediarahan,” Minato had advised. “I know you have other healers, but more is better in case people start to get tired. And someone with high strength, preferably who can help you counter, too.”

Eventually they’d worked out the fusion for Metatron, and even though Igor had been eyeing Minato almost the whole time they were there, he said nothing about the former guest’s involvement in Yu’s progress. Apparently even his disapproval of interference had its limits. And he wasn’t going to admit it, but it was nice to see the two working together to figure out patterns and combinations.

By the time school ended, Yu was prepared, and Minato sent him off after sneaking him a soma from the Velvet Room’s private stock. He then went after Margaret, trailing her all the way to the lounge and out of earshot of the others before speaking.

“Hey. I need to talk to you.”

Margaret glanced at him. “Oh? About what?”

“Marie.” Minato ran a hand through his hair. “Ryoji’s on his way. We’re worried, and… I don’t know. I don’t want to ask Igor, because he’ll just tell us that we’re not supposed to be interfering.”

“Why would you be worried about Marie?” Margaret asked, her tone carefully schooled into something as neutral as possible. Minato felt his stomach sink at the sound of it, because that meant that either he was right, or Margaret had her own suspicions.

“Let’s wait for Ryoji.”

It took only a few minutes for Ryoji to actually appear, and then Margaret sat down to face them, still wearing a carefully neutral expression. “So. What exactly concerns you regarding Marie?”

“She did something strange at the hospital,” Ryoji said. “She said that the fog from the television world was smothering Nanako, and then she… I don’t know, she controlled it? Sucked it out of her? Something. The point is, she’s got some kind of weird power over it. And that’s unnerving, because we still don’t know what she is.”

“Master Igor has said that Marie’s place in things will become clear in time,” Margaret said. “You two are allowed to relax, you know.”

“Margaret, I love you like an older sister, but _honestly_ ,” Minato huffed. He leaned forward, stormy eyes focusing sharply on her. “I am concerned, because she doesn’t remember anything, and if she has powers over the fog, she could be connected to something bigger. And I know _all about_ amnesiac fragments of gods, in case you’ve forgotten.”

Ryoji grinned, leaning on him and nuzzling his shoulder. “Marie’s just giving us a weird vibe. Are we wrong to be worried about Yu? I nearly killed Minato, and it was hell for both of us. No one should have to go through that, and that includes Yu _and_ Marie. If we can do something to stop that before it happens...”

Margaret frowned at them, but she wouldn’t make eye contact. “There...is a reason that we picked up Marie. But there is nothing that can be done, until we know more about her situation.”

“Seriously?” Minato rolled his eyes. “You guys can be really unhelpful, sometimes.”

“There is a reason we are only allowed to interfere a little,” Margaret said. “One day, you will understand, Minato-san, but until then, please forgive our inability to do more.” She shook her head regretfully. “We consider you family as well, both of you, and it pains me to not be able to explain things fully.”

Minato sighed heavily. “I trust you. If you say you can’t tell me right now, I believe you. Just...tell me as soon as you can, okay?”

“Of course.” Margaret got to her feet, nodding to them both. “I must go find Elizabeth, but please call for me if anything happens. I...do not want anything to happen to Yu-kun either.”

They agreed, of course, and when Margaret had gone, they stretched out on the couch, Ryoji flopped over Minato’s chest.

“We should call Mitsuru-senpai,” he said, hooking his fingers lazily in the neckline of Minato’s t-shirt. “We haven’t given her an update in a while.”

“She said she wasn’t interested in a small-town murder case, persona-wielding culprit or not,” Minato reminded him, humming at the fingertips against his collarbone. “But if something bigger is going on… We probably need to warn them to be prepared, just in case any more genocide-minded eyes decide to descend from the sky.”

“This evening, I guess. Just so they’re ready to jump if we have to call for help.” Ryoji sighed, pressing closer. “Everything will be okay, right?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t let it be any other way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter for now. Minato and Ryoji are suspicious, but they don't have enough pieces yet to get to the whole answer. Even if they did, could they really tell Yu?
> 
> Next chapter, we'll see some people we haven't seen in a while!
> 
> (Starting NG+, I finally, truly understand all the inherent angst of those "time-travel, protagonist remembers the last loop" fics. Getting back to Leblanc and having Sojiro be all cold again... I mean, I knew it was coming, but...I dunno, it punched a little harder in the feels than I was expecting. It's...easier to see this time around that he really does care underneath all the reminders to not be a little shit, though.)


	27. December 15th, 2011

The TV was a jumble of intermittent bursts of sound as Mitsuru flipped through the channels one at a time, scanning the news for headlines, but mostly just looking for background noise to accompany the massive amount of paperwork that she had to do.

_“Stocks continue to rise as the price of oil--”_

_“--istmas sales up to 50% off, this week only!”_

_“--delays of several subway lines due to workers protesting the Minister of Transport’s disregard for--”_

_“--have been no leads found after the latest deaths in the string of serial murders in Yasoina--”_

_“--a statement today by the prime minister, it was--”_

Mitsuru groaned, flipping to a random game show and turning the volume down. It looked like some idol group was the special guests, but she wasn’t planning to pay much attention anyway. “Being an unofficial arm of the police is far more of a hassle than it’s worth.”

“Things worked a lot better when we were just doing things on our own, yeah?” her companion said wryly from behind his own stack of paperwork. “But this way, we’re at least getting paid.”

Mitsuru shot Shinjiro a withering look. “All of this paperwork for a simple instance of investigation. How were we to know that the incident wasn’t shadow-related?”

“Because we haven’t seen a shadow in six months.” Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. “You’re just antsy because nothing’s happened in a while, since we finished cleaning up the leftovers in Nyx’s wake.”

“Have you found anything in that paperwork I asked you to read through? I still don’t know the full extent of everything that my father and Ikutsuki were up to,” Mitsuru said. “If there are more artificial persona-users out there, like Strega, they could be potentially a threat or a valuable resource.”

“Nah. The stuff I’m in the middle of right now is about Aigis and plumes of dusk or something. No mentions of human persona-users. There might be other bots like Aigis, though.” Shinjiro set down the stack he was holding and got up, stretching. “Look, I promised Hamuko I was taking her to dinner tonight, so I can’t stay here all evening reading these.”

Mitsuru nodded. “That’s fine. I didn’t expect you to.” She did throw him a wry smile. “Is it a special occasion, or just because?”

“If you’re trying to roundabout ask if I’m proposing or something, the answer is no,” Shinjiro grumbled. “Same as when Aki asked. A guy can’t take his girlfriend to a nice dinner without a reason?”

“I didn’t say that.” Mitsuru waved him off. “Tell her hello for me, and that I’m looking forward to our training session this weekend.”

“I will. See ya later, Mitsuru.”

His and Hamuko’s apartment was only about a ten-minute walk from the Shadow Operatives’ main office. When he got home, he found her hovering by the phone in the living room, a familiar blue post-it note in hand.

“So, you’re finally going to suck it up and call him,” Shinjiro said, sprawling on the couch. Hamuko turned to look at him, sticking out her tongue even as she fiddled with the scrap of paper where Minato had written down the number for the Dojima household. There was no reason it should be different, he’d said, but she just hadn’t worked up the nerve to make the call until now. There weren’t a whole lot of good excuses for calling a stranger out of the blue.

“Shut up,” Hamuko said, but there was no bite to it, and she picked up the phone and took a deep breath. “Do you have to _watch?_ Go get ready for dinner or something.”

“I want to see how you’re going to put your foot in your mouth,” her boyfriend teased, and she almost, _almost_ put the phone down so she could go swat him. But that would just be a distraction, and before she could lose her nerve again, she dialed the number and listened to it start ringing. Five rings passed before someone picked up.

 _“Hello?”_ It was a little girl’s voice.

“Yes, is this the Dojima residence? I’m looking for Narukami Yu.” Hamuko twirled the phone cord between her fingers absently, winking at Shinjiro. Success! Now she just had to tell Narukami-kun that she was a persona-user too.

But there was a choked gasp from the other end of the phone, and then a loud clatter, as if it had been dropped. Hamuko listened in confusion as someone in the distance said something, and then there was the sound of footsteps and the phone being retrieved. _“Hello? This is Dojima Ryotaro. Sorry about my daughter; what did you need?”_

Hamuko hesitated. “My name is Arisato Hamuko. I...was just wondering if I could speak to Narukami Yu.”

There was dead silence on the other end of the phone, and Hamuko swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat. Dojima took a ragged breath, and asked, _“Can I ask why you wanted to talk to him?”_

“He’s an acquaintance of my brother’s, and Minato wanted me to ask a question for him.” Not technically a lie. “Is...something wrong, sir?” Shinjiro was staring at her, concerned, but she waved him away, listening intently for whatever Dojima was about to say. But when he did speak, she almost dropped the phone in shock.

_“My nephew is dead.”_

“W-What?!” It burst from her before she could think to keep her voice down, and Shinjiro got to his feet. Hamuko flapped a hand at him agitatedly, asking urgently, “How? What happened?! My brother didn’t… He didn’t say that….!”

 _“He was found almost a week ago, along with six of his friends. They were all… They were all targeted by a serial killer. We found them upside down on TV antennas,”_ Dojima said, and his voice was rough, shaky. _“I told him not to get involved, not to mess with things, but he wouldn’t listen… M-My daughter hasn’t taken it well at all.”_

“T-That’s… Oh, god…”

_“Listen, I’m sorry you have to be the one to tell your brother about all of this. And that you had to find out this way.”_

“No, no, I’m sorry for bringing it up! Please, I’m so...sorry for your loss.” Hamuko stared down at the tabletop, mind running a mile a minute. “Tell your daughter, as well, that I apologize for upsetting her.”

 _“I will. Goodbye, Arisato-chan.”_ There was a click, and the dial tone droned in her ear. Hamuko set the phone back in its cradle very, very slowly, and Shinjiro stared at her in shock.

“Did he say Narukami’s _dead?_ ”

“Y-Yeah… Killed by the serial killer.” Hamuko looked down at her hands, which were trembling faintly. “What...does this mean? Is Minato’s version of Narukami-kun in danger?”

“Did he say anything like that?” Shinjiro asked.

“No, but…” She bit her lip anxiously. “We can’t tell him. You know what that would do to him, even if his is still alive.”

Shinjiro came over to wrap an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him, still worrying her lip. He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “Do you still want to go to dinner, or should we go another time?”

“No, no, you went through all the trouble to get the reservation. I’m fine; you go change.” Shinjiro reluctantly peeled away to go put on something nicer, and she sat down on the couch. Despite what she’d said, she couldn’t make up her mind. Tell Minato and hopefully avert something similar in his world? Tell Minato, and freak him out and cause him unnecessary anxiety? Or, if their worlds were meant to be running concurrently, was Narukami-kun already dead in the other timeline as well? Minato hadn’t said anything, but…

She needed to see her brother, and get a scope on the situation, before she made a decision. Hopefully there would be time to get together before Christmas. She didn’t want to ruin the Velvet Room’s Christmas party.

Shinjiro returned, having cleaned up a little, and she got up to peck a kiss to his cheek. He frowned. “Are you sure you want to go?”

“Yeah. No point in worrying until I can talk to Minato about what’s been going on in his timeline.” She flashed him a smile, and Shinjiro decided not to call her out on how forced it looked. Instead, they just headed for the door. The subway was only a quick walk away, and it was a short ride to that new French-styled restaurant in Ueno. Hamuko held onto his arm, sighing. Everything was going to be okay. It had to be. But even the weather, dreary and damp, seemed like it wanted to counter any sort of optimistic thought.

It had been awfully foggy lately...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny bit of a fake-out here. Just a little. I didn't say what _version_ of people we'd be seeing. :P Next chapter will actually be Magatsu Inaba proper, though, so it might take a smidge longer because lord jesus here we go with the fight scene X''D
> 
> ...there's a lot of stuff in P5's early game that, when you have foreknowledge of what's coming, is absolutely scream-inducing. School lessons, character conversations... The people from the ship were at the buffet... Shido literally caused his own downfall because being an ass to them in the hallway inspired them to keep being phantom thieves... It's _insane_.


	28. December 19th, 2011

It was horrifying, how Adachi thought of the town.

Calamity. It was the only word that could describe it properly. A haze of red, buildings destroyed as though they had been bombed out, telephone poles uprooted and thrown around like discarded toys… They picked their way through it, little by little, and gradually learned just how deep the roots of Adachi’s bitterness and resentment ran.

He hated Inaba. He hated the “hick town” that he’d been banished to. He’d admired Yamano Mayumi, until she turned out to be less than perfect, and then he hated her too.

Coincidence, he’d called it, that he’d touched the TV and discovered his abilities. Just like the rest of them. He’d just discovered it by shoving someone into it, rather than reaching for it. And it had to be a coincidence, didn’t it, that they’d all discovered their powers within a few days of each other?

He justified it as punishment. Yamano Mayumi had betrayed him. Saki Konishi had rejected him. Why not throw them into the television world, though after Yamano he had clearly known it was dangerous? He gifted the team with the knowledge that all it had taken was a few minutes to convince Namatame to unknowingly carry on his work, and then disappeared, leaving them to stumble into a maze of ruined streets and endless void.

Rise called it a calamity mandala. Yu called it a colossal pain in the ass.

It was where they had spent at least two weeks, navigating the maze a bit at a time and trying to avoid getting beaten down by shadows more powerful than anything they had seen prior. The only saving grace of the whole thing was that they hadn’t run into the Reaper yet, but they all knew it was just a matter of time.

“Did you see Adachi’s eyes?” Yukiko asked, as they crept down yet another stretch of broken street.

There wasn’t much cover, so they all had to stay alert for potential attacks. It took Yu a moment to think back to the last time that they had seen Adachi, before entering the mandala, and another to figure out what she was talking about. “Shadow-gold, right? Like you guys’ shadows’. Or Ryoji’s.”

Yukiko nodded. “Does that mean that there’s two of him in here? We haven’t had time to think about it, but if we reach the end and have to fight him _and_ his shadow…” There was no question that Adachi and his shadow would be on the same side. This wasn’t a rescue mission.

But Teddie shook his head vehemently. “Adachi’s one with his shadow, now, because that’s who he’s felt he is all along. If anything, he’ll have a persona, but it will probably be corrupted. This place isn’t a normal dungeon.”

“I don’t think we ever assumed it was,” Yosuke huffed. “This bastard’s got too much evil in him.”

“Guys,” Rise interrupted excitedly. “I think we’re at the end of the maze!” She pointed ahead, where a portal appeared to be waiting, and everyone let out a sigh of relief. There didn’t seem to be any shadows between them and it, either, and they all hurried forward. Exhaustion hadn’t set in yet; they could go a little longer, and find out what was on the other side.

Rise’s scream of warning came just in time, though, and they skidded to a halt as the massive shadow that had haunted Yu’s nightmares since Yukiko’s castle manifested in front of them, blocking the exit.

“What the hell is that?” Kanji demanded, and Yu, Chie, Teddie, and Yosuke realized that half the team had never seen the Reaper before, because they had been meticulous about avoiding it after that ill-fated encounter in the castle.

“ _That’s_ the Reaper,” Chie pointed out, and everyone went pale.

“The one that Rise said felt like death?” Naoto asked, her eyes wide as the shadow brandished its shotguns.

“It’s really strong, guys!” Rise cried. “Be careful!”

The air crackled with electricity, and Kanji just barely managed to summon his persona to block the storm of lightning that erupted around them. Yu summoned Izanagi to strike back, calling, “Rise, any weaknesses?” His teammates that knew the ma-kaja spells were already casting, and the next step would be to debuff it. But if they could get some kind of elemental weakness…

“It’s not strong or weak to anything,” Rise said, running Himiko’s scans as fast as she could. “It’s just really solid. You’re going to have to hit pretty hard to take it out, even if you debilitate it.” Another scan finished, and she swallowed hard. “Senpai, it knows _all_ the dyne and ma-dyne spells. I don’t even _recognize_ some of these! Be careful!”

“Focus on dodging, then,” Yu ordered. “Keep the ma-kaja skills ready to extend, and conserve your personas. I’ve got that soma, but we don’t know what’s up ahead, so try to stick to melee attacks or weaker spells if you can. We’ll wear it down a little at a time.”

***

Garudyne ripped through the battlefield, throwing Kanji off his feet, and the Reaper leveled it’s shotgun at him. Naoto’s persona slammed into its arm just in time to make it miss the shot, and the detective helped Kanji back to his feet without taking her eyes off the battle. “Sukuna-Hikona! _Hamaon!_ ”

The instant-kill spell didn’t actually do any damage, but the impact distracted the Reaper long enough to get Kanji back to safety. “Green wall has worn off!” Naoto shouted. “Yosuke-senpai, we need it back over here!”

“Got you!” Yosuke summoned Jiraya, directing the spell towards Kanji. Yu had ordered them to focus on protecting their opposite-elemental teammates, but it was getting hard to keep up as the battle continued to rage on. Conserving their personas had been abandoned entirely, as only their most powerful attacks were doing anything more than scratch damage.

Behind them, Yu had gotten in close, ramming his sword through the Reaper’s chest and then darting back before it could swipe at him. “Anyone who knows makarakarn, we need to try to reflect the next spell back!” he ordered, already calling one of his many personas to start on the spell himself. They banded into small groups to make sure everyone was covered, casting as fast as they could, and braced themselves as a confusing maelstrom of black and white and colored circles descended around them. There was always that brief moment of panic when using the negation spells that maybe they wouldn’t work, but makarakarn did its job, and whatever the hell spell that had been didn’t touch them.

But rather than roar in anger as its attack turned back on it, the Reaper was oddly silent, and it just looked at them for a long moment before throwing its arms wide. The telltale glow of a spell being cast surrounded it, and Rise cried out in alarm.

“Senpai, it’s going to use that thing you used against Naoto’s shadow!” she warned.

Yu went pale. _“Shit.”_ There was no way to block that. It was the same type of spell as the lesser unblockable ones. “Guys, defense and evasion buffs! And take cover!”

They scattered, throwing masukukaja and marakukaja out desperately and trying to find somewhere to hide from the inevitable explosive shockwave. But the mandala offered very little in terms of cover, and when megidolaon cast, the explosion threw them off their feet.

“Is everyone okay?” Yu shouted. There were a handful of affirmations. Teddie was already trying to ready mediarahan, and Yukiko was casting recarm on Chie. Rise, out of range of the blast, was watching with panic on her face, and Yu glanced back at her. “Rise, how much more?”

“It’s got...I don’t know, maybe a tenth of its strength left?” The readings on her display weren’t always the easiest to interpret. “But I think it’s learned. It’ll keep trying to cast that since it knows we can’t block it.”

“Damn it!” Yu stared down the massive shadow, uncertain what to do. They couldn’t keep going like this; they couldn’t survive multiple almighty attacks like that. But then there was a pounding feeling inside his head, and he winced. Metatron was tugging at the edge of his awareness, and something else… Mithras?

 _You know what you must do. Us, together. This is the culmination of your power, Wild Card._ Metatron’s voice was booming, echoing in his mind, and Yu reeled. Together? Summoning two personas at once? Could he do that?

It didn’t matter. He _had_ to, or they were going to die here. He thanked his lucky stars that they had managed to fuse Metatron before he left, and called the tarot cards. “Metatron! Mithras!” The personas appeared, hovering to either side of him, and he pointed at the Reaper, the name of the spell coming to his lips as if he’d always known it. _“Last Judgment.”_

There was a massive explosion right on top of the Reaper, though none of the Investigation Team felt anything. No shockwave, no force at all. The Reaper simply exploded, letting out a roar of agony before collapsing and dissolving into the same black remnants that all other shadows left behind.

The rest of the team stared in disbelief, before beginning to freak out and hug each other. “We did it, oh god, we beat it!”

“We’re not dead!”

“Oh hell that was the _worst!_ ”

Yu said nothing, fishing the soma Minato had given him out of his pocket and opening the package. There was a tablet of medicine in there for each of them, and he walked around to hand them out, making sure that each member of his team was okay, one at a time. That had been...too close. They’d nearly died. Yu didn’t know what he would have done if any of his friends had fallen beyond the reach of recarm, but it was a terrifying thought.

“Yu-kun, that was amazing,” Yukiko said, accepting the soma gladly. “How did you do that?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t even realize it was possible to summon two personas at once,” Yu admitted. But even as he spoke, he realized Minato probably did. Had he sent him off with Metatron on purpose, knowing the potential there? Yu owed him so many meals at this point, it might be easier to just dump a few thousand yen on him and call it even. Although he wasn’t sure if it was even possible to call it even with someone who had saved his life at least twice.

“Yu-senpai, you’re making a weird face,” Naoto pointed out, and Yu shook his head.

“Just thinking about what might be up ahead.” He glanced at the portal swirling ominously red and black a few yards away, and frowned. “Adachi’s probably up ahead. I can’t imagine the Reaper was anything other than a last line of defense, spawning like that.”

“We’re going to kick his ass,” Kanji said. “There’s no way that asshole can be stronger than the Reaper. There’s one of him and eight of us.”

“Let’s go, then! We’re all pumped up, now!” Chie said, looking no worse for wear despite being knocked out. The soma had done its work perfectly, and Yu nodded, leading the team towards the portal.

“We’ll get him, for sure.”

***

“You all almost ruined the game, with Kubo-kun.”

Adachi’s voice surrounded them almost as soon as they emerged from the portal, and they looked around frantically until they spotted him, standing in the burnt-out shell of a house. They clutched their weapons, but Adachi just kicked at a broken piece of flooring and laughed. “Who the hell tries to take credit for someone else’s crimes? Thankfully the department thought it was a prank and pawned him off on me. So I told them I sent him home...and got rid of the problem. If a culprit was arrested, Namatame would stop saving people. I didn’t want that. But then you brats had to go and get him, and it almost ruined everything. Thank goodness Namatame kept it up.”

“A...game?” Yu asked, and his voice was cold. “This is a game to you? That’s why you’re doing this?”

“Why not? I could, so I did,” Adachi said. “You need some sort of high in life. Namatame was getting high off saving people. And I bet you were, too. Felt good to mess around, being the hero, right?”

“If your ‘high’ involves killing people, that just means something’s wrong with you!” Yosuke yelled. “We were trying to stop people getting killed!”

“And what did you accomplish in the end, playing at being heroes?” Adachi demanded. “The more people you rescued, the more people Namatame kidnapped! It became a vicious cycle of both of you doing what you thought was protecting people. One of you was going to mess up eventually! You and your good intentions did nothing but pave the road to hell!”

Yu stepped forward, ahead of his team. “...and Nanako?” he asked, and Adachi’s expression flickered, just for a moment.

“Nanako...was just collateral damage. An unfortunate side-effect.”

“Are you sure?” Yu had finally realized where they were, in this destroyed town. His uncle’s house. _His_ house. “I think you’re lying.”

Adachi snarled. “You all are just a bunch of high-schoolers. Do you not have anything better to do than mess around with stuff that’s none of your business? What a bunch of lonely idiots.”

Something clicked, and Yu’s mouth nearly fell open from surprise. “No...that’s not it,” he said. “We’re not the lonely ones. You are, Adachi-san.”

“What the hell do you know?” Adachi spat, but he visibly composed himself. “It doesn’t matter anyway. This world has taken a liking to me, and your world will end. The fog will consume everything, and everyone will become shadows. Nothing will matter anymore. The world will finally look as empty as it really is.”

It was disturbing to know that the increasing amounts of fog in the real world were definitely something sinister, but they couldn’t afford to get distracted. Adachi was their goal. But Adachi was laughing again, and raised his arms to the red sky. “Let’s see which of us will come out on top.” An aura erupted around him, and a tall figure materialized behind him. “Magatsu Izanagi!”

“What?!” the team gasped. 

“Why is his persona the same as sensei’s?!” Teddie wailed.

It was definitely Izanagi, but darker, more menacing, splattered in what looked like blood. Reflexively, Yu called Izanagi to his side, clear and silver, and Adachi laughed. “This is how it’s meant to be, then! The two of us, at the end of everything. Let’s see who comes out on top!”

***

Adachi was surprisingly resilient for someone who had only had his persona for roughly two weeks. It wasn’t helping that he kept casting heat riser, forcing them to waste effort countering his augmented abilities. Yu divided them into two teams, trying to make sure that they could switch out to have time to recover, and kept them on the offensive as best he could. 

“What’s so great about the real world, that you’d waste this much time to protect it?” Adachi shouted, calling for Magatsu Izanagi and directing vorpal blade at the team. “Why would you choose that over a world you can make yourself? Everybody just wants an easy life, right? And what’s easier than avoiding the truth?”

Yu choked as he took the hit, flinging ziodyne back at him wildly and just hoping the lightning would connect. “The real world isn’t just emptiness and despair. You can’t just abandon it that easily. And you can’t just decide to take it away from everyone else, either!”

“I didn’t decide!” Adachi sidestepped the bolt, casting magarudyne to drive the others back from Yu. “This world chose me! It chose everyone! This world reflects what people want, and what people want is to turn a blind eye and pretend that reality doesn’t suck. Anyone without talent is never going to go anywhere, and you have to pretend otherwise or you realize everything is just boredom and pointlessness. I, personally, am sick of this crap. Better to just watch it all stop.”

He walked right up to Yu, pulling his gun out and kneeling down to tap the barrel against his head. “Game over, kid.”

“Yu!” But no one moved, terrified that he would shoot their leader, their friend.

Yu stared at Adachi, defiant. “Reality isn’t a game,” he hissed, and Adachi’s face twisted into something cruel.

“What does a stupid brat like you know?” He stepped back and fired, leaving a smoking bullet hole in the ground in front of Yu amidst the screams of his teammates.

“If you want to die so badly, then die, but leave everyone else out of it!” Naoto screamed, and Kanji wrapped an arm around her, throwing his other arm out to stop Yosuke from lunging forward.

“Why do you lot even care about the truth?” Adachi asked, waving the gun carelessly. “It doesn’t matter if you prove I’m the killer or not. No one actually cares who did it as long as someone goes down in the end. Namatame, me, it doesn’t matter.” He levelled the barrel at Yu again. “We’ll all be equal as shadows. We can live carefree, more alive than we are now.” He kicked Yu viciously in the stomach, sending him onto his back with a pained groan. “ _That’s_ the truth you all are looking for!”

Yu struggled to push himself back up as Adachi turned away. “That’s your delusion. Not the truth!” he wheezed, and Adachi looked back at him with disgust. Yu staggered upright. “You couldn’t shoot me. You don’t have the guts to murder someone face-to-face. And whatever pathetic excuses you come up with, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re a killer, and you should be punished for your crimes!”

“You’re like a kid, making excuses for bad behavior!” Chie yelled. “Of course you’re going to have a hard life if you push everyone away!”

“You can’t just give up your humanity because you’re too much of a brat to die on your own!” Yukiko shrieked, with more venom than anyone had ever heard from her. “You hate the world so much, but you don’t have the right to take everyone else down with you!”

“You don’t know what it’s like!” Adachi roared. “To not have anything, and then to have the one good thing you do have taken away!”

“You’re not the only one that’s suffered,” Yu snapped. “And I’ve seen you. In town. You’ve had every opportunity to connect with people, to make a life for yourself here, to be _happy!_ People have tried, and you rejected every last thing! _That’s_ why you’re so empty!”

Adachi screamed, Magatsu Izanagi bursting into being behind him again. “You just had to come here!” he bellowed. “You had to poke your nose in, and ruin everything!”

Yu called Izanagi. “Confess your crimes, and face reality!”

The two personas charged each other, and the rest of the team watched breathlessly, unable to do anything more to help. But this time, Izanagi rammed his sword through his bloody counterpart’s face, and Adachi shrieked and collapsed to the ground.

“What the hell…” he muttered weakly, and Yu walked over to look down at him, pityingly.

“I didn’t take your place,” he said, and Adachi made a weak, confused noise. “There was always a place for you. You turned away from it yourself. Just like you did to everyone else.”

Adachi scoffed weakly. “Jeeze… It doesn’t even matter. That other world is doomed anyway.” He sighed, and lifted his gun to his temple, ignoring as Yu shouted for him to stop.

But before he could pull the trigger, incorporeal shadows rushed in from all sides, slamming into him and throwing his body into the air. He spoke, but his voice was distorted, and it was clearly something speaking _through_ him, and not Adachi himself. “The world will soon be trapped within a fog that will not lift,” the voice said, and Adachi’s eyes glowed electric blue and violet, inhumanly bright. “Humanity will become shadows, and I shall rule over them, as the one who granted that desire.”

The shadows swirled around Adachi, growing larger and rounder until finally taking the form of a massive eye, looking down upon them with a technicolor iris. Yu stared at it in horror, feeling his stomach sinking even as his team moved to stand beside him. “W-What are you?” This couldn’t be what his first thought was; Minato and Ryoji were fine. This nightmarish eye wasn’t the one from _their_ nightmares.

Although, he was going to look forward to comparing giant genocidal eyes with them, assuming he made it out of this alive. Distantly, he realized that even thinking that meant he was probably finally cracking under the amount of strange things he’d seen.

“I am Ameno-Sagiri, ruler of the fog,” the eye proclaimed. “Humans have awoken me, as human desires are my desires. They wish for this realm of fiction and easy truths, and I shall bring the worlds together to grant that wish. All shall be consumed by the hollow forest of fantasies.” It’s gaze darted from one to the next, looking them all over. “You’ve played your roles well, in this drama, but your part is over. Though you overcame the shadows meant to kill you and fashioned them into weapons, the forest expands into infinity.”

“No!” As one, the team summoned their personas, sending them against the massive eye. But with a single shockwave, it threw them back and shattered them.

“You are too late.”

***

In Inaba, there was a swirling red vortex in the sky. People were panicking in the streets, crying about the end of the world, and Minato and Ryoji stood side-by-side in the middle of main street, swords in hand. The only thing they could be thankful for was that the situation seemed to be localized to Inaba. The rest of the world wasn’t in danger...yet. But if things continued to get worse, the fog and the vortex weren’t going to be the only things they had to worry about.

“When we get back to Tokyo, I’m going to yell at Mitsuru-senpai.”

“I will, too. So much for the serial killer being a minor disturbance.”

The fog was growing thicker, and they could both see small pockets of shadows trying to form. Minato cast kouga, taking them out before they could fully manifest, while Ryoji stuck to his sword. They worked their way up the street towards the hospital, slowly, and finally ducked inside the front doors. Neither of them wanted to breathe the fog in that concentration for long. It was getting worse as the two worlds came closer together, and they were hoping people had the common sense to stay inside. On the other side of the glass door, the vortex grew more defined, and Ryoji reached for Minato’s hand.

“It’s up to them, isn’t it?” he asked quietly.

Minato nodded. “I don’t know if we could get to them in time, at this point. And we have to protect Nanako and Dojima. That’s what Yu would want.”

There was a scream from somewhere outside, and Ryoji bit his lip. “...you can protect them, right?”

“Ryoji--”

“I can’t just leave people out there. They can’t defend themselves.” Ryoji smiled, leaning to kiss Minato’s cheek and then stepping away. “You can hold down the fort here. I’ll come back, when everything is over.”

“I’m holding you to that,” Minato said, even though every fiber of his being was telling him that at the end of the world, _out of sight_ was not a place he wanted his boyfriend. “Be careful.”

“I will.” Ryoji opened the door and slipped outside, lifting his hand to his temple and miming a gunshot. “Thanatos!” The worlds had merged just enough that he didn’t need to be Minato, and he took off at a run into the town, his persona trailing behind him. No one was going to die today. Not if he had anything to say about it.

Minato watched him until he was out of sight, then turned his attention to where the shadows were trying to manifest in his wake. _“Makouga!”_ He could do this. He was the Great Seal, for goodness sake. If he could hold back Nyx all this time, he could protect one hospital from barely-manifested shadows. He just hoped the Investigation Team hurried.

***

It felt like hours that he stayed in the lobby of the hospital, blasting shadows before they had the chance to fully form, even though it was really only a short time. At some point, Dojima showed up, watching in wide-eyed horror as Minato kept the monsters of the human mind from getting through the door.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t believe you, but to see it for real…” he said, and Minato managed a faint grin.

“Little different, right?” Minato leaned his forehead against the glass, staring out into the fog. “Come on, Yu…”

But even as he said that, there was a sound like a massive explosion, and the red vortex in the sky collapsed in on itself. Minato’s eyes widened, watching the clouds begin to dissipate and the fog begin to thin, and he felt the return of the familiar feeling of reality blanketing his powers. The two worlds were becoming separate again. “T-They… They did it…! They did it!”

“Yu and his friends?” Dojima asked, and Minato slid down the door, too relieved to keep standing.

“Yes, they...they won,” he murmured, though there was a note of distraction in his voice as he scanned the streets in front of the hospital for his boyfriend. Finally he saw Ryoji staggering back towards the doors, and when the other boy was safely inside, Minato grabbed him in a hug and didn’t let go. “Thank goodness…!”

“Everyone’s safe,” Ryoji said, hugging him back. “Most people made it inside, and the rest I got to go into Junes and hide. No one died, Minato. It’s over.”

The door near the back of the lobby opened, and everyone glanced over, expecting curious nurses at most. But instead, the Investigation Team staggered into the lobby, with an incredibly beat-up Yu and Adachi being supported in the middle of the group.

“Call the police,” Naoto ordered. Adachi was staring at his feet, not even fighting against the grip Kanji had on his arms. Ryoji grabbed his phone and started dialing, and Minato and Dojima went to where Yu had sunk into the couch.

“Yu, are you all right?” Dojima demanded, and Yu nodded, looking a bit shell-shocked.

“I summoned Lucifer,” he said to Minato, and the other Wild Card laughed weakly.

“That’s impressive. Was Adachi-san really that strong?”

Yu shook his head. “‘Nother Sagiri. Ameno. Was going to flood everything with fog…” He choked on a hysterical giggle. “Remind me to tell you about the big eye. I’ve got one too, now.”

Dojima looked completely lost, and Minato just smiled, exasperatedly fond. “I’ll remind you. You need to rest now, though. You look like you’ve been hit by a truck.”

“Almost died…” Yu muttered. “‘S all okay now, though.” He looked around at his team, all of whom seemed some level of exhausted, and there was enough pride in his expression that Minato was pretty sure he could have summoned Lucifer off of that feeling alone, power level be damned.

The Universe nodded. “You did good, kohai. Leave the rest to us.”

***

Across town, in Yu’s bedroom, a single figure stood quietly, melancholy. Marie looked around the room, knowing she shouldn’t be there, but just wanting to be figuratively close to him one last time. They’d tried so hard, looking for her missing memories and helping her make new ones, and now that she had what she wanted, all she wanted was to go back.

“I’m sorry, Yu-kun,” she said, very quietly, fingers curled tight around the wooden comb that had been her only memento. “I can’t be around you anymore.”

She knew what she was now. She’d known from the moment Ameno-Sagiri had fallen, and she’d begun to draw the fog back into herself. She was dangerous to him. She was just like Ameno and Kunino, and if she stayed, she would only end up hurting him. Her missing memories had been a balm on the threat for a long time, along with the care of the Velvet Room, but now it was too late.

She set the comb on Yu’s desk, one eye glowing. “Remember me as I was, a friend you could believe in, and do not see me as the monster I am now,” she whispered, and turned away. 

Yu’s room stood empty once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jfc. I know I said I was going to do the Ameno-Sagiri fight but they fought Adachi and then I went back and they fought the Reaper and you know what? AS’s fight went down exactly like it did in the anime so I hope you enjoyed Minato and Ryoji holding down the fort instead. X’’’’D This chapter was a freaking marathon omg.
> 
> I was sort of half-kidding when I mentioned it originally, but now after having to think about it long enough to get this chapter down, you can pry my headcanon that Magatsu Inaba/Mandala is a kind of palace out of my cold, dead hands. Adachi doesn’t really suppress his true self, like the other dungeons. Adachi has a distorted desire for chaos and destruction, as evidenced by his eagerness to keep the game going, to the point that he tries to murder Kubo to ensure things continue. He sees Inaba as a destroyed wasteland with only himself remaining, lording over the monsters as the fog of apathy consumes everything in the world that he hates. He’s one with his shadow and (in the anime at least) the other shadows, including the Reaper, fight for him against the team, the way that the shadows in palaces talk about fighting for the palace ruler. And then you beat him down and he agrees to play by the rules and go to jail for his crimes. Isn’t that almost a change of heart, just without stealing a treasure?
> 
> I’ve re-met Akechi and I am sad again that NG+ won’t change anything. I also realized that when the game let me keep all my equipment I still had Akechi’s tie in my inventory. Guess who immediately put it on Akira like a big sad dork?


	29. December 24th, 2011

“Still no sign of Marie?” Minato asked, sprawled across Yu’s bed in the laziest possible pose he could manage. He’d been home in Tatsumi Port Island for most of the week since their harrowing fight against the fog that had threatened to consume reality, but Yu had been stressing over the comb that had been left in his room. Marie had vanished without a trace, and neither the townspeople nor the residents of the Velvet Room had any idea of where she’d gone.

“How can she have just gone without saying goodbye?” Yu said, melancholy. “I still wanted to help her. She was my friend.”

“I think the comb was a goodbye,” Minato pointed out. He had his own suspicions of why Marie had left, especially after learning that there had been two Sagiri, but he didn’t share them with Yu. Speculation would only make things worse, at this point. “I know you’re worried, but you can’t let it consume you. Are you coming to the party?”

Yu glanced back at him. “Party?”

Minato groaned. “Margaret didn’t tell you? We decided after last year to start having a party in the Velvet Room on Christmas Eve. That way we can all celebrate and not mess with anyone else’s plans on Christmas Day.” He sat up, shaking his head. “Come on, it’ll be fun. The other Wild Cards were invited, too. At least, the ones that are family.”

“There’s more than just us?” Yu asked. Of course there were, but hearing it out loud was still a shock.

“Yeah, it’s kind of weird to picture adults as persona-users, but we’ve got some,” Minato said, a smile quirking his lips. “Come on, change out of your pajamas and let's get moving, or Elizabeth and Ryoji are going to eat all of the fudge. I’ve already got this weird itch like we’re about to miss something, and if it’s Igor singing Christmas carols, I’ll never forgive you.”

“Okay, okay, give me a bit. I’ll be downstairs, just go wait for me.” Yu waved him off, and Minato headed for the stairs, laughing at him.

A Christmas party with a bunch of people with powers and supernatural attendants? Yu figured it couldn’t be any weirder than anything else he’d done this year. It would be fun, at least.

***

Inside the Velvet Room, the party was winding up to be a good one. The lounge had been decked out in strings of lights, and Elizabeth, in a flagrant disregard for aesthetics, had managed to drag in a real Christmas tree. The decorations on it were all blue, of course, but the tree itself was a blotch of green the likes of which the Velvet Room didn’t usually see.

Igor was nowhere to be found, clearly preferring peace and quiet over the rowdy company of his attendants. He’d been around just long enough to greet the first guest that arrived, and then vanished from the lounge.

“It’s good to see you, Maya-san,” Belladonna said fondly, and Maya smiled.

“I’m glad I could be here. It feels like it’s been too long; a party was a good idea.” One of the only remaining persona-users from the crisis in Sumaru, she looked around the room. “Things here look the same as ever. Although, I see a new face over there.”

“You do indeed. Ryoji-kun!” Belladonna called, and the dark-haired boy looked up from where he was helping Theodore set out food and bounced over.

“Yes, mom?” he said, grinning.

Belladonna sighed deeply as Maya looked between them in shock. “He’s being a troublemaker,” she explained briefly. “This is Mochizuki Ryoji, the consort of one of our new Wild Cards. I...suppose we can be said to have adopted him, considering how distasteful his ‘parents’ were to him. Ryoji-kun, this is Amano Maya, a former guest of the Velvet Room. She doesn’t visit us nearly as often as we would like.”

“Consort’s kind of old-fashioned, but okay,” Ryoji giggled. “It’s nice to meet you, Amano-san. Minato should be here soon, he went to get our straggling newbie.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Ryoji-kun. And I’ve heard rumors about this ‘Minato-san’, so I’ll be interested to meet him, as well.”

Their attention was drawn back to the door as two more people entered, and Lavenza hopped up from her chair to run over to them. “Naoya-san! Maki-san!”

Maki caught Lavenza as she crashed into them, smiling. “Merry Christmas, Lavenza-chan. It’s wonderful to see you. I think you’ve grown since I last saw you!”

Lavenza smiled proudly. “I’m an inch taller, and Margaret says I can start training to be an attendant soon.” She dragged Maki towards the couch, eagerly chatting away about how excited she was to learn how to keep the compendium, and Naoya came over to shake hands with Maya. “Long time no see. How have you been? Are you still an editor at that magazine?”

“Chief editor, now,” Maya replied. “What about you?”

“Maki’s still working as a therapist. I’ve just got a boring office job, but I’ve been helping out with a group that one of Kei’s business partners started to deal with meta-type threats.” Naoya shrugged. “Never thought I’d be working for a teenager, but it’s been pretty good so far.”

“I want to hear more about that later,” Maya said. “After everything that happened with that thing in the moon, it’s probably good to have a group that’s prepared.”

“It’s a long story. Minato-kun and Ryoji-kun are probably better equipped to tell it than me, though.”

On the other side of the room, Nameless was chatting with the Painter when both of them suddenly hesitated, looking around. There was a sudden sense of foreboding in the air, though they couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Belladonna noticed next, her conversation with Ryoji trailing off, and he frowned.

“What’s wrong, Lady Belladonna?” Around them, the other attendants had come to attention, looking nervous, much to their human guests’ confusion.

“I’m not certain…” Everything felt hushed, expectant, like the breath before a scream.

The room _lurched_ , and Lavenza cried out, burying her face in Maki’s stomach. All of the adults, half-thrown from their feet, looked around urgently, and Margaret covered her mouth with one hand.

“Oh no,” she whispered, glancing at Theodore.

“What?” he said, not understanding, but then his eyes widened. “Wait, it’s not… It’s not happening _now?_ ”

Nameless moved as if to lay a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Theo…” But Theodore exchanged a glance with Elizabeth and ducked under his arm, sprinting for the door. The Wild Cards present watched in confusion, not understanding why all of the residents suddenly seemed so upset.

“Theodore, _stop!_ We cannot interfere!” Margaret and Nameless lunged after him, but Elizabeth threw herself between them and the door, arms spread to either side and gaze steady as Theodore charged from the room.

“Sister, I apologize, but I cannot let you go after him.”

“Elizabeth, you know as well as I that such interference is not allowed! Our master--” Margaret tried to say, but Elizabeth interrupted her.

“Our master tasked us with looking after our guests. You said nothing of interference when I aided Minato-san at the end of his journey, though they surely would have been too late without help,” she accused. “Theodore is doing what he believes is best. And I know how deeply he cares for his guest. Because I am the same.”

Naoya, who was resting a supportive hand on Maki’s shoulder as she held Lavenza, looked around at all of them. He’d never seen the residents fight among themselves, other than the usual squabbles between siblings, so to see Elizabeth seemingly prepared to square off against anyone that tried to get through that door was unnerving. “Can someone please explain what’s happening here?”

“I agree. I’ve never seen you guys fight, and it’s strange,” Maya chimed in.

Margaret took a deep breath and stepped away from the door, though Elizabeth didn’t move or relax. “Very well. Allow me to explain about Minato-san and his sister…”

***

“Shinji, we’re going to be late!” Hamuko yelled from the living room. “The party probably already started!”

“Fine, fine. Do I really have to wear this stupid hat, though?” Shinjiro emerged from their bedroom with a Santa hat on, his name emblazoned on the front of it in red glitter glue.

“Of course you do. Be festive!” Hamuko had a scrunchy adorned with holly in her hair, and a green Christmas sweater covered in bangles. In comparison to her walking celebration, the hat was outright tame. “Come on, I wanna see if we can get Theodore to wear reindeer antlers!”

Shinjiro shook his head, but he was smiling as they made their way to the front door. But when Hamuko threw the door open, prepared to face the world in a burst of Christmas spirit, she found a world of white waiting for her. “W-What?”

Outside was a swirling mess of fog, dense and practically opaque. Hamuko took a step out into it, looking around, and glanced back at Shinjiro. “Okay, I know it’s been foggy lately, but this is weird.”

They headed down into the streets, and the fog didn’t let up at all. If they hadn’t known where they were going, this would have been impossible. There were screams in the distance, and when Shinjiro’s phone rang, neither of them were surprised that it was Mitsuru. They’d already decided to take a detour to the office to try to figure out what was going on.

_“We’re getting reports of shadows all over the city! Get over here now; we need to organize and figure out what’s causing this!”_

It wasn’t very far to the Shadow Operatives’ headquarters, but being half-blind was making things more difficult. And they started to notice, farther into the fog, the creeping forms of shadows beginning to manifest. How far did the fog extend? Was the whole city under? The country? The _world?_

“If we can get to the office, we’ll be able to regroup,” Shinjiro said, more to break up the sounds of shuffling and screaming that surrounded them than to actually offer information. He walked ahead, keeping an eye on their surroundings, his hat lost somewhere after they’d had to dash around a corner to avoid being run into by a shadow.

“We can get our weapons there, too,” Hamuko pointed out. But then she let out a shriek of agony and fell, slamming into the sidewalk. She didn’t move, and Shinjiro skidded to a halt and doubled back. “What’s wrong?!” he cried.

“E-E-E--” Hamuko tried to speak, shaking with the sudden pain. “Erebus… Erebus is--!”

Erebus? Shinjiro tried to figure out what that beast had to do with what was happening now, and went pale as a thought struck him. “Hamuko, is it the Seal?” Whatever had caused this fog, it was affecting everyone. People were probably panicking, losing hope, crying out for an ending. If it was making Erebus stronger… Either way, they had to go. Her scream would have attracted attention.

Shinjiro lifted her up, hoisting her over his shoulder as she whimpered an affirmative to his question. He changed course for their original destination, heading towards the street with the Velvet Room door instead of the Shadow Operatives’ office. The residents would be able to help Hamuko if something was wrong with the Seal, whether there was a party going on or not. At least, he hoped they could.

A shadow lurched out of an alley towards them, and he called Castor without thinking, obliterating it before it could even get near them. With Hamuko out of commission, he had to be careful. One delayed reaction could be the end of them. Apparently things were bad enough that his persona could be summoned, which wasn’t a good sign, but he wasn’t going to complain.

The group of three shadows that he encountered next, though, exploded before he could even speak Castor’s name, and a familiar blue-clad man stepped out of the fog.

“I came to get you,” Theodore said. “We have to hurry.”

“What the hell is going on?” Shinjiro demanded, as Hamuko made another pained noise. But Theodore just shook his head, beckoning them to follow, and Shinjiro wove his way through the fog after him, letting him take out any shadows in their way while he focused on keeping Hamuko stable. Eventually, the familiar blue door came into view, and Theodore ushered them into a blue-draped hallway, slamming the door behind them even as the Velvet Room quaked again. “Theodore, fucking listen for a second, what’s happening with all that fog?”

“Your world is ending,” Theodore said bluntly, wringing his hands. “Your world’s version of Yu-kun failed, and everything is coming to a stop.”

“Narukami dying caused _this?_ ” Shinjiro asked incredulously, carefully helping his girlfriend to sit on the floor. “But, what about the others? I’ve got to go back for Mitsuru and Akihiko!”

Theodore’s expression crumpled, even as Hamuko cried out in pain again. “It’s too late. Hamuko-chan is in pain because her version of the Great Seal has shattered under Erebus’s force. Nyx is descending, and anyone not consumed by the fog will Fall into apathy and die.”

Shinjiro’s eyes widened. “You’re telling me that everyone outside of that door is _dead?_ ” His friends’ faces flashed through his mind, and his heart seized. It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t. “Let me out, I have to go after them.”

“If you go back out there, you’ll die, and Hamuko-chan will never forgive you.” Theodore knelt to check on her breathing. She was half conscious, and looked ready to tip over at any moment. “I wasn’t even supposed to bring you here, but...I couldn’t let things end like this.”

“Theo… Is everyone really dead…?” Hamuko asked weakly, taking a shuddery breath.

“I’m sorry, Hamuko-chan.” The pain in his voice was answer enough.

“Theo!” Elizabeth appeared at the end of the hall, with Margaret trailing behind her. The older attendant had been prepared to scold her brother for his foolishness, but when she saw Hamuko curled up in pain all of her words disappeared. Elizabeth, oblivious to Margaret slowing to a shocked stop, continued forward, throwing her arms around her brother. “You did it, I don’t believe it, you got to them in time.” She let him go, nodding to Shinjiro before dropping to the floor. “Hamuko-chan, this must be a lot…”

That seemed to be the final straw. Hamuko cracked, and a heart-rending wail ripped from her as it sunk in that her entire world was gone. She could feel the absence of the Seal like a wound, her arcana dimming as her world fell into apathy and darkness. All of her friends, her family, everyone but Shinjiro. Had she done this? She was the Universe, she created miracles, and in private moments she’d wished for a miracle that she could live with her brother, to have everyone she loved at once. Was this how that wish had been granted? A Christmas miracle in the form of the world ending?

They couldn’t get a single coherent word out of her, as she sobbed and sobbed, and finally Elizabeth and Shinjiro got her to her feet, walking her back towards the lounge slowly. Hopefully the adults would be able to help them, because this was too much for any of them, even together.

At this point, punishment from Igor was going to be a slap on the wrist compared to how much seeing Hamuko in pain hurt.

***

“Elizabeth seriously tried to run up a down escalator?”

Yu had finally gotten ready to go, and he and Minato were walking through the shopping district on the way to the Velvet Room to the tune of Minato telling embarrassing stories about the Velvet residents.

“Yep. And it went on for entirely too long. Most people would give up after a minute or two, but she was determined to stay in one place. It was like some weird perpetual motion thing.” Minato shrugged. “I almost left her there.”

“She’d have gotten mad,” Yu pointed out.

“Well, what was she going to do to me? I was the room’s guest. She couldn’t nuke me or anything.” They reached the blue door, heading into the limo, and Minato closed the door so he could work whatever magic let him open it onto the rest of the Velvet Room. “Your journey apparently isn’t quite done, which I’m sure has something to do with Marie, but Igor’s making an exception so you can come to the party.”

Yu rolled his eyes. “How kind of him,” he said dryly, following Minato into the blue hallway. But he crashed into the other boy’s back as Minato stopped dead just a few feet from the door. Theodore was standing there, clearly waiting for them, looking uncomfortable and barely-held-together.

“Theo?” Minato asked tentatively. “What’s wrong?”

“Minato-san, t-there’s something we need to tell you,” Theodore said nervously. “It’s about Hamuko-chan…”

Minato snapped to attention, fixing Theodore with a terrifyingly intense gaze. “What’s happened? I had a weird feeling, but I would know if she…”

Theodore shook his head. “It might be better if she could tell you herself. She’s in the lounge…”

He’d barely finished speaking before Minato was brushing past him, heading for the other end of the hall. Yu and Theodore exchanged worried looks, and followed.

They found an oddly solemn gathering, in stark contrast with the festive decorations. Hamuko was sitting between Maki and Ryoji, still crying as the older woman rubbed her back. Shinjiro was sitting at the other end of the couch, staring down at his feet as if not moving was the only thing keeping him from flying to pieces. And the other residents and guests hovered around, uncertain what to do or how to help. Minato went immediately to his sister, kneeling in front of her and putting a hand on her knee. “Hamuko? What happened? What’s wrong?”

“M-Minato… Minato, e-everyone’s… Everyone’s gone…!” she hiccuped.

“Gone?” Minato asked, confused.

“It all went wrong… I didn’t get to tell you… Narukami-kun died, and there was so much fog, and the shadows started spawning and then the Seal broke and it hurt so much and they’re all _dead, Minato, they’re all dead!_ ” Hamuko sobbed, the words bursting from her with no control.

Minato glanced back at Yu, who had gone pale as he realized what she was saying, and then looked around at everyone else. “Her timeline,” he asked, directing the question at all of the older attendants, “is it really unsalvageable?”

“It has become a dead timeline,” Nameless said regretfully. “Those who are not yet dead will be soon, and the world will stop. That is the way of things.”

“You say that like this has happened before,” Minato said, his voice like ice.

“Minato-kun, don’t snap at them. This isn’t their fault,” Naoya said, despite being interested in the choice of phrasing as well. He couldn’t recall any instances of abandoned timelines, but if it was something he and Maki hadn’t been privy to...

Elizabeth came over, kneeling beside him and leaning close. “I will explain things to you later, Minato-san, but it’s not something we speak of in present company,” she whispered. 

Minato frowned. “You mean like you explained about the Abyss of Time?”

Elizabeth leaned back as if he’d slapped her, and he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever. Shinjiro-senpai, you guys can stay with Ryoji and I, if being at the dorm won’t be too painful.”

Ryoji nodded to second the offer, holding Hamuko’s hand tightly. He didn’t really know what to say. The Fall had happened; even if it wasn’t their timeline, it still seemed unthinkable.

“It’ll be fine, I think,” Shinjiro said, but his heart clearly wasn’t in it.

Minato got to his feet, and Hamuko looked up at him tearfully. “I didn’t want to get what I wanted like this…” she said.

He thought back to that long-ago confession in the dance hall, and nodded. “I know.” His expression softened, and he bowed his head to Maki. “Thank you for looking after her until I got here, Maki-san. I’m grateful.”

She shook her head. “Theodore is the one you should be thanking. He fetched her and Aragaki-kun before it was too late.”

Theodore was still hovering by the door anxiously, and Minato walked over to him. With his back to the rest of the room, Theodore was the only one who saw him blink back the tears that threatened to spill over. “Thank you. I...don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost her again.” And with just hearing that, Theodore knew he’d done the right thing, consequences be damned.

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat, Minato-san.”

Ryoji helped get Hamuko and Shinjiro up, and Minato apologized profusely to Yu for abandoning him before they left. He wanted to at least try to get them settled at the dorm, and none of them really felt up for a party. Not that anyone else did either, and Yu was left awkwardly in a room where he hadn’t met half of the people there, and everyone was uncomfortably melancholy. The Christmas lights just looked mocking, now.

“So...that was Minato-senpai’s sister?” he asked at last, and Margaret seemed to shake off her shock enough to come over to where he was standing.

“Yes, that was Hamuko-chan. I apologize, Yu-kun, this was not what any of us expected to happen today.”

“It’s...not your fault.” He’d been about to say that it was okay, but it really wasn’t. “I, uh, don’t think I’ve met all of these people…”

Margaret fumbled. “Ah, yes. Um…” She quickly introduced him to the three older attendants, and the three older Wild Cards. Yu had to agree that Minato was right: it was strange to think of adults as persona-users. His only prior experience with that was Adachi, after all. But Adachi was in jail, and these people seemed nice enough. He could at least try to get to know them, before he had to go home and cope with the fact that apparently he’d died in an alternate reality and it had ended the world.

This might be the worst Christmas Eve in history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give it a few years, Yu, and we’ll show you a Christmas Eve of nightmares, too.
> 
> I figured the one thing capable of shattering the Great Seal would be something so terrible that humanity would despair enough to make Erebus overpowered. The apocalypse seems to fit the bill, so...Self-Indulgent Christmas Crisis Crossover ft. Unasked-For Angst. :P
> 
> Also featuring Maya because it wouldn’t have been fair to leave her out even though I still don’t know her nearly as well as the others. Hopefully that worked. I really need to not write so many people in a room at one time, though. It gets hard to juggle. So if anyone was weirdly silent, oops. X’D
> 
> (Chihaya’s link is really such a huge pain at the beginning. It eats literally a whole week of nights, if you count the Mementos request too, to even start the damn thing. And then she still has another Mementos mission later. If I didn’t know that rank 7 was actually useful, now, I’d be really annoyed. I guess I can make up those nights after the pyramid...)


	30. January 2nd, 2012

The new year dawned clear of fog, but with a layer of melancholy that lingered from Christmas. He should have been happy: Nanako and Dojima had finally been allowed to come home from the hospital, and his uncle’s physical therapy had been going perfectly. But Yu hadn’t seen Minato since he’d ushered his sister out of the Velvet Room, leaving nothing but confused and troubled hearts in his wake. And he’d still found no trace of Marie anywhere in Inaba, except for the comb, which he kept in a pocket at all times in case it was some kind of key to locating her.

It left him with an empty feeling, an unsolved mystery. And it had to be something he was supposed to do, because his Velvet Room remained stubbornly a limo, refusing to grant him access to anything else. He knew that for sure, since that was what he had decided to do today. He’d wandered into the oddly-empty limo, closing the door behind him and attempting to replicate whatever Minato did to cause it to open somewhere else. But every time he reopened the door, it was just the shopping district again, and he sat down on the seat in a huff.

The door opened a bit, and Margaret peered in. Yu could see a glimpse of blue hallway behind her, and groaned in frustration.

“Yu-kun?” Margaret asked. “Is something the matter? We weren’t expecting you so soon; we figured you would be enjoying your time after everything that happened with Adachi-san.”

“It’s Marie,” Yu explained. “I can’t just leave things be. I need to get to Iwatodai.”

Margaret came completely into the limo, sitting beside him. “There are trains, you know,” she said pointedly. “You didn’t have to come in here and spend time glaring at a door that won’t change its key for you.”

Yu shrugged. “You’re the one who told me to make the most of my time. Even glaring at the door takes less time than riding the train to Iwatodai and probably having to wait and ride back tomorrow.”

“This door won’t open on Iwatodai no matter what you or Minato-san attempt to do to it. Outside doors are keyed to only one location,” Margaret said with a sigh. “What are you planning to do when you get there?”

“I need to talk to Minato-senpai,” Yu said immediately. “I’ve got a question for him, and it’s not something I want to try to do over the phone. I need to see if he’s making a face. Plus, I want to see how his sister is doing. She seemed...really upset. I can’t imagine trying to recover from something like that.”

Margaret sighed. “Very well. You’ve already been allowed beyond this room once; I suppose I can make one more exception, if you believe it is that important.” She was going to get in trouble one day. She was far too fond of this guest of hers.

Yu followed when she beckoned, and the door opened onto that blue hallway. Margaret took him down the hall, around a corner and to a seemingly-identical door. “Please do try not to cause a fuss. And get Minato-san to take you home afterwards, since you seem to be adamantly against trains today.”

“Thanks, Margaret. I owe you cotton candy and a favor.” Yu smiled as he went through the door, and Margaret hung her head. Too fond. Hadn’t she scolded Elizabeth and Theodore for this in the past? What was the world coming to?

***

Yu stepped into the hallway of Minato and Ryoji’s dorm and glanced around, wondering where he would find them. It was sort of awkward to end up _inside_ the dorm and not somewhere where he could knock. But that was Minato’s fault for putting the Velvet Room door in the hallway.

Right?

He wandered into the living room after a glance at the stairs, then headed towards the kitchen. “Is anyone home?” he called.

Ryoji leaned out of the kitchen. “Yu-kun? Where did you come from?”

Yu pointed at the Velvet Room door. “Is Minato-senpai here?”

Ryoji frowned. “Uh…” He glanced across at the stairs. “Minato! Yu’s here for some reason!”

Minato appeared at the top of the stairs, quickly enough to have clearly already been on his way down after Yu's initial call. “Oh. You are. Huh…”

“Is...this a bad time?” Yu asked, feeling oddly like he’d walked into something. But Minato shook his head, coming the rest of the way down and approaching at speed with his hands tucked in his pockets.

“It’s fine. I’m assuming you need to talk.” He breezed past Yu, heading for the front door. “Come sit on the porch with me.”

Yu followed obediently, and when they were seated on the steps, he looked up at Minato with concern. “I’ll admit, I had a question, but seriously. Is something wrong? Because you both looked really awkward.”

“...things have been rough,” Minato said after a moment. “Christmas was a disaster. Hamuko can’t be around the other Shadow Operatives yet without having a panic attack. And everyone’s a little awkward around Shinjiro-senpai.” He sighed. “I knew it was going to be bad, but we’ve been walking on eggshells since Christmas. Everyone’s pretty stressed.”

“Jeeze, Minato-senpai. I’m sorry.”

Minato shrugged. “It’s not your fault. And you don’t have to call us that anymore, if you don’t want to. You’ve come into your own as a Wild Card; that means you’re basically part of the family.”

Yu had known Minato was casual, but that proved how highly he thought of the younger Wild Card. “Ryoji-senpai would probably be disappointed if I stopped, but I’ll think about it.”

“Sounds good. Anyway, don’t worry about us. What did you want to ask about?” Stormy eyes watched Yu’s expression curiously as it shifted from amused to concerned.

"How did you do it?" he asked.

Minato stared at him. "How did I do what?"

Yu looked away, suddenly anxious. "Ryoji. How did you save Ryoji-senpai? You said, a long time ago, that you called him back from Nyx, but how?” 

“Oh.” Minato smiled, looking down at his hands where they were folded into his lap. "This is going to sound overwhelmingly cheesy, and I'll understand completely if you laugh at me. But...love."

"...love?"

The blue-haired boy nodded. "Love. I loved the part of him that was Ryoji above all others, and I called that part back to me, because I wasn't willing to give up the person who held half of my soul and heart. The person that made me complete." His expression was fond, eyes far away as he said, "I was so hollow for so long, and he was barely real. But love saves the empty, in the end."

Yu scuffed his shoe against the stairs, turning the other boy’s answer over in his mind. At last, he said softly, “Marie isn’t like Ryoji-senpai.” He shook his head. “You love him so much. Marie’s my friend, but...is that enough?”

“Of course. Do you really think that your bonds with your friends are lesser than my bond with Ryoji? That’s ridiculous.” Minato rolled his eyes. “They’re different, obviously. You don’t run around kissing all your friends. At least, I don’t think you do. But a max bond is a max bond.”

“No, I don’t kiss all my friends,” Yu said, muffling a snort behind one hand. “What kind of comment is that? I don’t think I’d kiss Marie, either.”

Minato’s expression turned vaguely melancholy, and Yu was suddenly paying close attention. This was why he’d wanted to ask about this in person. The phone made a poker face too easy. He watched the other boy seemingly gather his thoughts, and then Minato asked hesitantly, “Do you have an idea of what Marie is?”

“She’s not human,” Yu guessed. “That seems pretty obvious. But that doesn’t mean much. The Velvet attendants, and Ryoji-senpai...and I guess you, technically, are proof enough of that.”

“True,” Minato agreed. “But.. I don’t think Marie is like Ryoji. I think she’s like the Sagiri.”

_“What?”_

“Hear me out for a second.” Minato held up his hands defensively. “The Sagiri shadowed the other two people with the power to enter the television world. There’s no reason that you should be exempt from having a fragment attached to you as well. And then we have a mysterious girl with no memories and power over the fog, one who clearly was fond of you, who suddenly disappears one day without a trace?” He sighed. “Trust me when I say that I know something about amnesiac fractions. If her memories returned, and I’m correct about what she is, she may have left out of fear of harming you.”

Yu considered that. It would explain many things, if it was true. It also meant that the Velvet Room picking Marie up originally was a huge stroke of luck, because they had given her purpose and kept her out of trouble for this long. But there was something else he knew, too, and he looked up at Minato determinedly. “I don’t care. She’s my friend, and even if she is another piece of some sort of god of fog, I still want to try to help her.”

Minato shook his head, smiling wryly. “I guess I don’t have room to object when I once decided that the best way to spend the week before the end of the world was making out with Death,” he said, though despite his deadpan delivery there was definitely a note of pride in his voice. “If you’re that determined, I’m sure you’ll succeed. Willpower is half of our abilities, after all.”

“Right…” Yu nodded to himself, thinking everything over. “Thank you, Minato-senpai.”

“Of course.” Minato reached out and poked his forehead. “Now, I’m going to guess that Margaret expects me to get you home. I’m surprised she broke a rule like that. They usually save their rule-breaking for the eleventh hour.”

“She does expect that,” Yu confirmed. “But, uh...before I go… Can I try talking to your sister? It might help, since she’s never met me before.”

Minato froze, and his expression for once hid nothing. Comprehension, apprehension, fear that this could make things worse, hope that this could make things better… He sat there, just staring at Yu, for a long moment, then said slowly, “She...went for a walk. To the playground. Please, just don’t…”

“I won’t,” Yu assured him, knowing how protective he could be. “I just want to try.”

“I...trust you.” Minato waved him off. “Go, before I change my mind.”

***

Yu found her alone on the playground, sitting on the swingset with her head down. He took the swing beside her, nudging it into motion. “Arisato-chan?”

She looked up, eyes wide. They were a startling crimson, but despite the difference in color, he could tell how similar they were to Minato’s. “You’re… Narukami-kun,” she said, very quietly.

“Yeah.” Yu kicked his feet to swing a little higher. “Your brother said things have been hard, since Christmas. Are you doing okay?”

She tried to crack a smile. “It’s just...taking some adjusting.” But there was a waver in her voice that she couldn’t hide. “It’s strange, Narukami-kun. It’s easier for someone to come back from the dead than to just spring into existence.”

“What do you mean?” Yu asked.

“Minato and I...never really had trouble adjusting. We’d thought each other was dead for ten years. But it was...so easy to fall into believing that we’d just been separated. And he wasn’t my Ryoji, and he wasn’t Minato’s Shinji, but we made it work. It didn’t take long at all. Even you… I didn’t know you. I can convince myself that learning that you were dead was just a mistake, because here you are, for real in front of me. But everything else... I’m...not handling well.” Hamuko laughed, but it fell flat. “Shinji’s having an easier time. He’s been talking to Ken-kun. Our timelines were so close, after all. It’s still going to take a while, but he’s...basically the same as the one they knew. But…” Her eyes welled up. “They look at me, and I’m not ‘Hamuko’. I’m ‘Minato’s sister’. Because they don’t _know_ me. There’s no recognition there, nothing that we shared. And that hurts so much that I don’t know what to do.”

Yu stopped his swing, holding out his hand, and Hamuko hesitated before reaching out to take it. “I can’t even imagine,” he said honestly. “The idea of all of your friends just...not knowing you anymore. If there’s anything I can do…”

She shook her head. “Minato wants me to talk to a friend of his. Sonomura-san, from the Christmas party. She’s apparently a therapist, a good one, and she can help people like us because she’s like us.” Another tiny, weak giggle escaped her. “He said he wishes he’d met her at the same time he met Todou-san. Says it could have saved him a lot of nightmares.”

“I think you should,” Yu said. “If it could help. You deserve to be happy.”

“I know. Theo didn’t save me for me to be sad.” Her smile was a little more genuine this time, but still small. “He’s whatever the Velvet Room’s equivalent of being grounded is. Igor was really mad. But...not as mad as he could have been, because there are places for us here. It’s not like Theo tried to bring a duplicate over.”

She got up from her swing, towing Yu up as well with a surprisingly strong grip and giving him a hug. “Thanks, Narukami-kun, for listening. You’re...safe to talk to.”

“People seem to think that,” Yu admitted, hugging her back. “You can take my number, if you ever need to talk more in the future.”

“Shinji might disapprove,” Hamuko joked, but her tone was grateful. They traded phone numbers, hers fitting neatly into his contacts next to her brother’s, and together they walked back to the dorm. Minato nearly dropped his bowl of popcorn when he saw them come in together, apparently in good spirits, but he recovered quickly.

“Are...you guys good?”

“Yeah, we’re fine. Narukami-kun’s really nice, now that I’ve gotten to meet him,” Hamuko said.

Minato stared at Yu as if he’d worked some sort of black magic, but managed to get his popcorn safely onto the coffee table. “That’s good. Yu-kun, do you need me to get you through the Velvet Room?”

Yu nodded. “Nanako and my uncle are probably wondering where I’ve been. It was nice to meet you, Arisato-chan.”

“Just Hamuko is fine.”

“Hamuko-chan, then. I hope things start getting better.” He followed Minato to the door, as Hamuko disappeared upstairs, and when they entered the blue hallway Minato turned on him almost immediately.

“What did you do?”

Yu shrugged. “I’m apparently safe, because I wasn’t supposed to already know her. _That’s_ what’s getting to her the most, not that everyone in her world died. Everyone dying is bad too, obviously, but it seems like being forgotten is worse. And she said you wanted her to talk to Sonomura-san.”

Minato sighed. “I do. It hurts to see her so unhappy.”

“Things will work out. Even if it takes a while,” Yu said. “And really, senpai, call if you need help. If the Shadow Operatives can’t help, we will. You’re part of our team too; you don’t need to deal with this alone.”

“You really are such a golden boy. It’s ridiculous,” Minato scoffed. “Thanks, though. I’ll remember that.” He checked around the corner for any sign of the Velvet residents, then led Yu back to the door to the limo. “Good luck with Marie, and...what you said goes for you too. Call if you need help.”

“I will.” Yu stepped through into the limo, then back to reality in his town. That had been an interesting experience, for sure. But he was glad he’d gotten to meet Hamuko, and was feeling more confident about being able to find Marie. No matter how long it took, he was going to make sure this ended well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! *streamer noise*
> 
> I just looked at the wordcount for this story and about had a heart attack. How did this happen. When did I get to this many words. X’D
> 
> Work stuff delayed this longer than I intended. Sitting through a six-hour lecture for ‘training’ was the worst, and it wasn’t like college where I could bring a laptop and pretend to take notes while actually writing. But I also wanted to make sure that bit with Hamuko and Yu was the way I wanted it, because just because this is fix-fic doesn’t mean it’s going to be _easy_. Also, I was listening to this (www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1xdaZbu-Tk) for most of the chapter, and if someone could explain to me how to embed links, that would be amazing, because I am going to scream. X'D
> 
> (Breaking the boulder puzzle in the pyramid was just as funny the second time. I wonder at what point Akechi actually starts getting suspicious that you’re a thief? Because it has to be sometime before rank 2.)


	31. February 8th-10th, 2012

Rise was the first person to learn something about their missing friend.

She didn’t know, at the time, what she had learned. She’d been up late studying for the next day of their exams, and when she finally put the books down, the day was almost over. As she brushed out her hair, humming one of her songs to herself, the clock struck midnight, and the TV in the corner flickered on.

Rise turned to stare at it in shock. The Midnight Channel hadn’t activated since Adachi and Ameno-Sagiri had fallen. But it was there now, glowing eerily yellow. There was no one on the screen, though, just a faint voice coming from the speakers, humming Rise’s song from where she’d left off.

The only thing that kept her from screaming was the knowledge that the Midnight Channel wasn’t something that could harm them. Otherwise, it would have been a scene straight out of a horror movie. She listened to it until the TV turned itself off again, and almost decided to call Yu, but there was no reason to worry him this late at night. There was no victim this time. Just the strange humming.

The investigation could begin tomorrow.

***

“So there was no one on the channel, it was just making the sound?” Naoto asked the next day, when they gathered at the food court after school for a ‘study session’. Everyone had made it, knowing that no studying would get done; even Yosuke had called off work, too interested in the potential return of the Midnight Channel after a month and a half of silence.

“That’s right!” Rise said loudly. “I was brushing my hair and humming one of my songs, and at midnight the TV came on and started humming the song with me!”

“But...it wasn’t raining last night,” Yukiko pointed out. “Doesn’t the Midnight Channel only air when it’s raining?”

Everyone was silent, trying to figure out what that could possibly mean. Chie suddenly smacked the top of the table, almost sending her tray flying. “What if it didn’t show the person _because_ it wasn’t raining? Could you tell who the voice was? Maybe it was someone we know, and we can figure it out like that?”

Rise shook her head. “I couldn’t tell just from the humming. It was a girl’s voice, though, and it knew the song.”

“What song was it?” Yu asked, and everyone looked at him, wondering what that had anything to do with anything.

“It was ‘True Story’. My most recent single,” Rise said.

“Isn’t that the song from that concert thing we did back in October?” Kanji asked, and Rise clapped her hands delightedly.

“That’s right! That’s the one you all helped me with, that I sang with Marie!”

Silence fell over the table as they all suddenly realized what she’d said. Rise looked around at them all, dumbfounded, and said quietly, “Y-You don’t think… Was that voice Marie? Is Marie inside the TV?”

“Could she go into the TV on her own?” Yosuke asked. “Yu said she wasn’t human, but…”

“We need to see if the Midnight Channel shows up again. If it shows her in there, she might need our help.” The comb in Yu’s inner jacket pocket felt like a weight against his heart. They’d speculated that Marie had left voluntarily, but what if she hadn’t? What if she was in trouble? The murder case might have been solved, but the television world remained.

“This seems like all we can do for today…” Yukiko said reluctantly. She began gathering her things. “I’m sorry, my mother needs my help at the inn this afternoon.”

“It’s okay. We’ll keep you posted if anything comes up,” Chie said. Yukiko smiled thankfully and headed out, and the rest of the team dispersed shortly after, knowing there really wasn’t anything they could do until they had more information. If Marie needed help, she needed to give them something more.

***

Later that night, Yosuke and Teddie were on the phone with Yu, laying around in Teddie’s room. After everything that had happened with the fog and the vortex, Yosuke had confessed to his dad about most of what had been going on during that very weird year, and Teddie now had a proper place in the Hanamura family instead of just freeloading.

(And Yosuke’s dad had needed a very long talk with Dojima over some drinks, as they both tried to cope with their new worldview, but that was a different issue. The kids, for the most part, had decided that only telling their parents the necessities was the best plan. Dojima and Mr. Hanamura were special cases.)

“So your uncle wants to take us all on a ski trip? That’s so cool!” Yosuke cheered, flopped on Teddie’s bed beside the phone.

_“He said it’s to make up for us not going anywhere during Golden Week,”_ Yu said, and his voice through speakerphone was clearly pleased. _“I’m going to call the others, but I wanted to tell you first. He said I could invite Minato-senpai and Ryoji-senpai, too, but I don’t think they’re going to be willing to leave home for a while.”_

Teddie frowned. “Because of Hamu-chan, right? Is she doing any better?”

_“She’s texted me a few times. She agreed to talk to Sonomura-san, but I don’t think she’s tried being around the others again yet.”_

“Probably best that those two stay home, then,” Yosuke said. “Unless Hamuko-chan wanted to come with us too.”

_“I doubt it, though it would probably be good for her to get out and have fun,”_ Yu said. _“In any case, we’re leaving the morning of the eleventh in a rental van, and supposedly we’ll be there by noon. Then it’s all snow, all the time, ‘til we come back the next night.”_

“This is gonna be great!” Yosuke said. “I haven’t been skiing in ages. We’re going to make some great memories, before you have to leave.”

There was a sudden burst of static, and Yosuke and Teddie rolled over to look at the tiny TV on Teddie’s dresser. It fizzed with a familiar yellow glow, and a familiar voice said, _**“Memories? You’ll help me make new ones, right?”**_

_“Yosuke? Is everything all right?”_ Yu asked.

“The TV,” Yosuke said, over the sound of Teddie crying out in confusion. “The Midnight Channel’s on, and I heard Marie!” As he spoke, the TV clicked off again, and he glanced at the clock. “What the heck? It’s not even midnight!”

_“Mine didn’t come on,”_ Yu said, sounding deep in thought. _“What if the television world is reacting to us, because we’ve been trying to figure out where she is? Things that connect her to us are triggering the window?”_

“But is it not showing her because she’s not in there?”

Teddie elbowed Yosuke, leaning over the phone. “Sensei, we should go check the television world! I’ll be able to sniff out if she’s there!”

_“Tomorrow afternoon, then,”_ Yu said. _“I’ll let the others know when I call about the ski trip. Thanks, Yosuke, Teddie.”_

“Hey, we’re just as worried about her as you are,” Yosuke replied. “Go on and call the others. We’ll see you tomorrow, partner.”

_“See you.”_

Yu hung up, and Teddie and Yosuke glanced back at the TV one last time. They’d dealt with monsters and murderers and eyes that wanted to smother the world, but something about this felt different. When they finally tracked down Marie, what exactly were they going to find?

***

Combing through the television world once exams were done turned up a complete blank. They’d split into groups of two, combing each of the dungeons that were still standing meticulously, looking for any hint of another entrance or a new area. If Marie was here, she had to have a dungeon. But they found no trace of her or any kind of disturbance, only normal shadows and corridors.

They regrouped in the lobby, dejected but not defeated.

“She’s not here…” Teddie said sadly. “My nose itches like she is, but the scent is so faint, and it’s not coming from anywhere. We’ll just end up going in circles like this.”

“Why would her scent even be here, though?” Kanji asked. “Has she ever been in the TV before?”

“Not that we know of…” Chie said. “She was living in that Velvet Room, though, and there’s a way in there from here...”

Yu turned her comb over and over in his hands, wracking his brain for anything else they could do. But he came up with nothing, and after tucking the memento away again, he got up to address his team. “We should head back for today.”

“Are you sure?” Yukiko asked. “We can keep going.”

“I’m sure,” Yu said. “We’re not getting anywhere like this, we’ve been doing exams all week, and we have to be up early for the trip tomorrow. It’s time to go home.” He glanced over his shoulder at the path to the apartments, the way to the collapsed entrance to Magatsu Inaba, thinking of the shadow that had lurked in the apartment for months before the calamity-ravaged town had revealed itself. “We’re obviously not meant to find it yet.”

Rise put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll try again when we come back, senpai. We’ll find her.”

Yu wanted to believe that. So he smiled, reaching up to squeeze Rise’s hand and then gesturing towards the exit. “Come on. I’m sure half of you haven’t packed, either.”

“Oi, that’s not true!” Yosuke whined. “I _thought_ about packing, at least!”

“I’ve got to dig out my snow gloves.”

“I wonder where my hat with the earflaps is…”

The team trailed out of the television world and back through Junes, distracted with pondering exactly how many warm clothes they needed to bring for two days of rolling around in the snow. Yu lingered a few steps behind, unable to completely focus on the trip despite being the one who told them to stop for the day.

_Marie, where are you? Why did you leave?_ It bothered him more than he was willing to admit. It shouldn’t be so easy for a friend to just disappear. If Marie could just vanish one day, what about everyone else?

Yu shook his head. No, don’t think like that. Everything was fine. No one was going to leave. Something else was going on, and they were going to get to the bottom of it.

He had to believe that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No I’m not stalling with this chapter, why would you ever thi---
> 
> I had to rewatch half of the Golden anime to get this straight in my head. X’D Golden’s anime is kind of hilarious, though, because they do a brand-new fight for Adachi and it’s awesome, but Ameno-Sagiri appears, gets no explanation, and dies in the span of thirty seconds. Yu takes it out in one hit. It’s insane. I know it’s NG+, but still. 
> 
> Next chapter we’ll actually do the Hollow Forest. I’m still figuring out how I want to lay it out, but I’m glad I decided to skip the memory loss. I really don’t like that trope; Kingdom Hearts made me bitter. XD
> 
> (I’ve decided that Okumura’s palace is officially my least favorite, except the airlock parts. Too many things are strong against physical, so I can’t rip through them with my endgame weapons. And the robot minibosses are just flat-out annoying because they resist freaking everything.)


	32. February 11th-12th, 2012

“All right, kids, make sure that you’re careful. I’ve spent enough time in the hospital in the past six months; I don’t want to have to take anyone in for a broken leg or a concussion.” Dojima let them out of the van at the ski resort, and they piled into the lobby to get directions to their rooms, throwing on their winter gear as quickly as possible.

Yu helped Nanako with her snow boots, as Dojima took care of the ski and snowboard rentals. “Are you going to ski with us? I think they have kids’ skis,” he asked, making sure the knots were solid and tucking the laces in.

“No, but they have a sledding hill. I’m gonna do that,” Nanako said matter-of-factly. “But you promised you’d build a snowman with me, and you have to come sledding with me at least once.”

“Of course I will, as long as they have a sled big enough,” Yu promised. “I don’t want to fall off the back halfway down the hill.”

Nanako giggled, pulling on her mittens. “I’ll find the biggest sled here!” She grabbed her hat, then looked up at him with curious eyes. “Were Ryo-niichan and Mina-niichan busy? And Marie-chan? Is that why they didn’t come too? They haven’t come to visit in ages.”

Yu smiled, not wanting to worry her with any kind of detailed explanation. “Minato-senpai’s sister moved to Tatsumi Port Island, so he’s been helping her get settled. And Marie’s been traveling, since she doesn’t go to school. I’m sure they’ll come visit soon.”

Nanako glanced at the clerk at the front desk, who was too busy trying to get all the ski equipment sorted with Dojima, and leaned forward to ask, “Is something happening with the place in the TV?”

“Maybe,” Yu said vaguely. “But that’s not for you to worry about. The bad guys are gone.”

“Even if they weren’t, you could fight them off, onii-chan,” Nanako said with a smile, and Yu felt his confidence swell. This kid could make him happier than anything else; it was ridiculous and wonderful. He glanced at his uncle, who was heading their way with skis, and promised, “Let me do a few runs down the ski course, and then I’ll come build a snowman with you. Okay?”

“Okay!” Nanako saluted him, then headed for the door, intent on finding a sled big enough to fit the two of them. Yu took his skis with a smile and a thanks, and headed out as well. Today was to have fun. Everything else could wait until they got back to town.

***

Nanako’s snowman ended up six feet tall, with a little help from Yu and Dojima. A secondary snowman that looked like Teddie had been constructed beside it, much to half the group’s confusion when they returned from the slopes. Kanji had spent most of day teaching Naoto how to ski, and Yu had his suspicions about the two of them, but he kept it to himself. Teddie and Yukiko had gotten into a race, and Yukiko had absolutely crushed him as Yosuke and Chie cheered. Yu had coached Rise for a while, and when Nanako had found a sled that was almost big enough he’d agreed to go sledding.

And now Rise had a collection of embarrassing photos of him flying off the sled and ending up half-buried halfway down the hill.

When dinner was over, they all gathered in a sitting room near the lobby, chatting, playing board game, and drinking hot chocolate late into the evening. There was a giant TV on the wall near the couches, and Dojima kept eyeing it, looking like he wanted to ask something. Chie noticed first, and after glancing around to make sure everyone else in the room had gone, she asked, “What is it? You keep staring at the TV.”

Dojima took a drink of hot chocolate awkwardly. “I know you all explained that everything’s over, but… Is it just TVs in Inaba, or could you get into that place from anywhere?”

The group exchanged a confused look.

“We’ve never had to try,” Yu said after thinking about it. “Everything that happened was localized.”

“Didn’t the people in the Velvet Room say that the television world is specifically connected to Inaba?” Naoto asked. “Theodore drew that diagram with it and the Door.”

“That’s true.” Curious, now, Yu got up and tapped his fingers against the TV. Nothing happened, and he rested his hand on it as he turned back to the group. “I guess not. It must just be the ones back home.”

But as he spoke, the TV flared in a burst of light and static, and everyone cried out in shock, especially Dojima and Nanako, since they’d never seen the Midnight Channel before.

**“Remember what you are. Ameno-Sagiri has fallen, and the time has come to play your part. You will take up the mantle of the fog, to enact humanity’s wish to hide from the truth.”** There was a pause, as if the voice was listening for a response, and then, **“Fool. You have seen the outcome of the game. In the end, Emptiness held the greatest sway. The Hope of a few cannot counter the apathy of all.”**

Yu knew that voice. He didn’t know why he knew it, because it wasn’t Marie, but it rattled in his brain like a word on the tip of his tongue, a memory just out of reach. Who was it? What were they talking about?

“Ameno-Sagiri…? Wasn’t that the thing you said possessed Adachi?” Dojima asked. “And what’s this about a game?”

“I...don’t know.” Yu stared at the TV, not sure what was happening or how this had escalated. They’d been planning to investigate this when they got back, but apparently it had come to them.

The whole group was caught off-guard again as someone stepped into the room, but they relaxed right away when they realized who it was.

“Oh! You’re Mina-niichan’s cousin. From the festival!” Nanako said.

Margaret smiled. “Something like that, Nanako-chan. It’s good to see you all.”

“Margaret, what’s going on?” Yu asked urgently. The TV hadn’t cut back off, and it just glowed eerily behind him. “Is this something to do with Marie?”

“It is,” Margaret said, coming over to stand with the group. “Marie tried to leave, but all of you have such strong bonds with her. You are influencing the collective unconsciousness, subconsciously trying to pry open a door you should not have access to.” She nodded to Yu. “I am here to open the way. Do you still have Marie’s comb?”

Yu dashed for the stairs, to retrieve the comb from his jacket, and Dojima frowned at Margaret. “Are you sending them somewhere dangerous?”

Margaret looked a bit caught off-guard with the presence of a concerned parent, and said as neutrally as possible, “Marie is hurting, not dangerous. So long as they move quickly, they will be in no danger. And they are quite capable of taking care of themselves.”

Dojima narrowed his eyes. “After that _thing_ that they said possessed Adachi, I’d rather them not have to walk into danger anymore.”

“We’re fine, I promise!” Yukiko cried. “Really!”

“Sensei’s super-strong, and we’ll be fine if we’re all together,” Teddie added.

The others chimed in as well with assurances and promises, but all of them emphasized that they had to go after Marie. She was their friend, and she needed them.

Even Nanako spoke up. “Onii-chan and his friends beat all the bad guys. They can do this too!”

Dojima grumbled, but said nothing more, and Yu returned at a run with the comb. “I’ve got it! What do I need to do?”

Margaret held out her hand, and Yu handed her the comb, hesitating before letting his fingers fall away from it completely. The attendant turned to the TV, reaching out and sinking the teeth of the comb into the screen. She turned it like a key, and the screen turned the deep blue of the Velvet Room. “Follow me,” she said, and stepped into the TV and was gone.

Yu looked at his uncle and cousin. “We’ll be back,” he said. “Hopefully with Marie.”

“Just be careful. I reiterate what I said when we got here: I don’t want to have to take anyone to the hospital, and I don’t want any of you showing up dead on the roof,” Dojima said gruffly.

“We’ll be careful,” Yu promised, and he led his team into the TV after Margaret, wondering what they would find on the other side.

***

It was a strangely empty, misty version of Inaba that they wandered into. Or rather, Inaba fused with some sort of shrine, the roads twisted and winding like the mandala had been. Tori gates rose imposingly in the distance, and smaller statues dotted the landscape. The Investigation Team stayed clustered behind Margaret as she led the way, compendium safely under one arm.

“What is this place?” Yu asked, the only one walking at Margaret’s side.

“This is the Hollow Forest,” Margaret said. “It is...fundamentally similar to the dungeons you have traversed previously. But Marie came here on purpose, and sealed it off from the outside.”

“Why would she do that?” Rise asked. “Just shut herself away? She could have asked for help!”

Yu hesitated. “...Minato-senpai was right, wasn’t he?” he said, just loud enough for the rest of the team to hear him. “Marie is like the Sagiri. She was supposed to possess me.”

Margaret sighed. “We all had our suspicions, but it was not our place to speak of them without proof. When she disappeared, it seemed like confirmation enough, though I didn’t think Minato-san would just come out and tell you.”

“I asked him.” Yu glanced back at the others, who he’d told about Minato’s suspicions as well, looking lost. “I asked if she was the same as Ryoji, and he said no.”

“So Marie is like that big eye and that weird thing with the halo? How is that even possible?” Yosuke asked.

“There are things we still do not fully understand,” Margaret said regretfully. “While we understand that Marie serves a similar purpose to Ameno-Sagiri and Kunino-Sagiri, it’s unclear what origin those three have, or why Marie’s memories were missing in the first place. But she holds power over the fog, and has drawn all of it into herself and retreated to this place to keep you and the town she has come to love safe. And we do not have a lot of time.”

They walked past oversized versions of sand sculptures, quiz show sets, a stage… Half of Okina City drifted in the void alongside other significant places from Marie’s memories with the team. A guitar as tall as a building stood alongside the path, and they all felt the pang of recognition and loss.

“What do you mean, we don’t have time?” Naoto asked softly.

Margaret’s steady pace forward hitched, for just step or two. “This place is not stable. Marie essentially created it out of a corner of the Sea of Souls. A tiny island to hide away on. And soon, that island will sink back beneath the sea, taking all that is here with it.”

Yu felt himself go cold, and there was a discontented murmur around the group as everyone reached the same conclusion.

“...Marie was going to stay here until it collapsed.” It was Chie who spoke, the words barely above a whisper, and there was a clamor as they all quickened pace to catch up with Margaret and Yu.

“But why?” Kanji said furiously. “Even if she’s like those other things, she’s still Marie. Teddie’s a damn _shadow_ and we want him around! We wouldn’t turn her away!”

“I can’t only assume there are circumstances we don’t understand.” And there was a shake in Margaret’s voice that was becoming more apparent, and they realized that this was affecting her more than anything they’d seen so far. She stopped walking, and they looked ahead at a low building, the entrance a gaping black hole. Margaret bowed her head, not looking at any of them, and said firmly, “Please. Bring her back. I do not want to see her die here.”

Yu nodded. “We will.”

***

They found Marie, cloaked in white, kneeling in the back of the building.

“Marie!” Yu shouted as they approached. He had to resist the urge to step back when she turned, revealing that her left eye had gained the same technicolor rings as Ameno-Sagiri’s. If there was any doubt left in his mind that she was connected to all of that, it vanished at the sight of that unreal iris.

But Marie didn’t give them any time to process, her expression crumpling into fury.

“Why are you here?!” she shouted. “You idiots! How did you even reach this place?”

“Margaret opened the way for us,” Yu said. “And what are you saying? What about why _you’re_ here, Marie?”

Marie visibly ruffled up with frustration. “You shouldn’t have come after me! I can’t be around you! You don’t realize what I am…”

“You’re like the Sagiri,” Yu said bluntly. “And none of us care.”

Marie gaped at him. A million emotions crossed her face in quick succession. “I’m going to end up hurting you!” she yelled. “And if you know what I am, you know that, so what kind of moron are you? Don’t you see where we are? This is a tomb! I’ve already decided to die here, so I can’t hurt you or anyone else!”

“How dare you decide something like that on your own!” Yu fired back, and Yosuke raised a hand, shocked at hearing Yu actually raising his voice against their friend.

“Uh, partner…”

“I’m trying to protect you, stupid idiot!”

“We don’t need protecting, idiot!”

“Quit being a sentimental fool!”

“You’ve known all along I was a Fool!”

Marie grabbed at her hair. “You don’t understand!” she cried. “Ameno and Kunino used me as a spy, to see the desires of humanity. And I absorb the fog that they produce. I can’t stay with you; I’ll bring the fog back to your world, and I’ll hurt you!” She wouldn’t even look at them, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “Marie isn’t even my real name! I’m not a _person_ ; I’m Kusumi-no-Okami, and I‘ve made my decision!”

Teddie made an uncertain noise, and they all looked at him.

“Teddie?” Naoto asked, a note of nervousness creeping into her voice. “What is it?”

“She’s...something stronger than a shadow. Something special,” Teddie said. “It’s hard to tell, but it’s...it’s something more like Margaret, or Ryoji-senpai, than like me.”

“W-What…?” The team reeled back. All of them knew, subconsciously, how much damage Margaret could do if she wanted. And Minato had talked about the one time he dueled Elizabeth with somber respect. So the knowledge that Marie was that strong was intimidating, to say the least.

Yu took a deep breath, and started forward. “Marie, we’re taking you back with us. You’re running away from your true feelings. You don’t really want to die here, do you?”

Marie stumbled back, hands raised as if to ward him off. “Of course not! Of course I want to stay with all of you! I… I was happy, with you… But I can’t!”

“You can,” Yu said. “I believe in you.”

He reached for her, and she pressed back against the stone altar behind her with a cry that was almost a scream. “Don’t!”

Yu’s hand landed on her shoulder, and Marie wailed, her form bursting into shadows that swarmed around Yu. Yosuke tried to charge forward to grab him, but Chie and Rise caught his arms, preventing him from running headfirst into the shadow as it writhed and shrieked. It formed gradually into a humanoid shape, covered in what looked like paper armor and a red cloak, fire streaming from its surprisingly-anguished eyes.

_**“Look what you’ve done!”**_ it screamed. _**“You couldn’t just leave well enough alone!”**_

“Marie and Yu-senpai are in there!” Rise cried, already scanning it. “If we can beat it, it’ll be just like with Namatame and Adachi!”

“But the Sagiri were destroyed,” Yukiko said faintly. “What’s going to happen to Marie if we attack?”

Half of them froze, midway through the motions to summon their personas, as they realized that they didn’t know. The point of coming here had been to rescue Marie; if they ended up… _destroying_ her in order to save Yu, then everything would have been for nothing.

They were forced to take cover as the massive shadow swiped at them, and Yosuke clenched his fists. “If we don’t try, we’re not gonna save either of them. We have to try. Marie’s better than those two monsters were. She’s special. We can get through to her.”

Chie glanced at Yosuke. Then Yukiko. Soon everyone was looking at him, and Yosuke held up his hands. “What?”

“You’re his ‘partner’,” Chie said. “So you can be interim leader. What’s your call? How are we handling this?”

Yosuke flailed. “Me?” But he peeked over the fallen column they were sheltering behind, looking at where Kusumi-no-Okami was kneeling with her clawed hands over her face. She was clearly in pain, suffering. Not malicious. “We… We…” He took a deep breath, trying to channel Yu, and said firmly, “We’re going to defend, and we’re going to talk to her. We can make this stop.”

The team nodded, stony-faced. They cast everything they could think of, marakukaja and tetrakarn and makarakarn, and then walked out to face Marie.

_**“No!”**_ the shadow bellowed. _**“Get back! I’ve already hurt him; I don’t want to hurt you all too!”**_

“Marie, you have to fight it!” Yosuke yelled. “It’s not too late to stop this and let him go!”

_**“Look at me, you idiots! I’m a monster!”**_ She swiped at them, throwing a wave of black fire through the room. _**“My entire purpose was to hurt all of you! In the absence of the Sagiri, I’m the only thing containing the fog!”**_ Flaming eyes were filled with anguish as she writhed with agony. _**“I can feel it inside me, trying to get out. The only way is to stay here!”**_

Rise, halfway behind Kanji to help brace against the fire, stamped her foot. “That’s ridiculous! If you can’t contain the fog, leave it here, and let it die on its own!” she yelled. She could feel Teddie and Yukiko keeping the group healed as the fire kept coming, now seemingly radiating out from Marie on its own.

_**“I can’t! My existence will keep bringing suffering!”** _

“No, it won’t!” Teddie cried. “Ryoji-senpai and I are shadows, and we haven’t brought anyone suffering! You’re Marie, and you’re more than just a piece of something else. You’re you!” He pushed forward, out in front of the group. “Ryoji-senpai told me that I had a soul! That that was what made us different from other shadows. You have a soul, too, Marie!”

“You’re not like those other things!” Yosuke shouted. “You have memories, and friends that love you! You don’t have to be _this!_ ”

Marie let out a scream, hunching over. _**“Stop, stop! You can’t see anything!”**_ She didn’t seem to be talking to them. _**“I can’t get out… I can’t get out!”**_

“You can!” The whole team yelled it at once, and the shadow wailed. Light began to emanate from it, glowing brighter and brighter until they couldn’t even make out its form anymore. There was a massive shockwave of fire, and only a last-second re-cast of marakukaja kept them all on their feet. And when the light faded and the dust cleared, there were two figures lying on the ground, and the team ran forward.

“Yu-kun! Marie!”

Yu pushed himself up, his arms shaky, and smiled at his friends. “...I knew you could do it,” he said weakly, and Rise threw herself at him even as Yukiko readied another healing spell.

“Marie!” Yosuke and Naoto helped her sit up, and she pressed her hands over her eyes, tears running down her face.

“You idiots… I’d already decided…”

“Well, it was a bad decision,” Kanji said bluntly.

Yu untangled himself from Rise’s embrace and scooted over to lay a hand on her shoulder. “I told you,” he said softly. “I could see your soul. Both of us, together, trapped in that shadow. You have just as much right to live as we do. So leave the fog here, and let’s go home.”

Marie looked around at them all brokenly. “There will just be more, in the future…”

“Then we’ll deal with that when it happens!” Yosuke said. “Right now, we have to go!”

The ground was beginning to shake, dust falling from the ceiling in streams as the Hollow Forest grew less and less stable. So they ran, all of them together, joining hands to keep from losing anyone as they sprinted out of the building, trailing fog behind them as Marie finally let it go. They even picked up Margaret along the way, who just ran alongside them, looking exceptionally grateful to see Marie safe and sound. And as the exit portal came into view, Marie found herself smiling, ridiculously happy. She had friends. She had friends who cared about her, no matter what she was. It was almost enough to make her cry all over again.

They tumbled out of the TV into the resort sitting room, and Dojima and Nanako gasped in surprise as all of them ended up all over the floor. Yu sat up just in time to glimpse the velvet-blue screen fizzle out, and then the TV was black and cold. The Hollow Forest had disappeared.

“You’re back!” Dojima said, and he was halfway to his feet, already scanning them for injuries.

Yu waved him off. “We’re fine, we’re fine…” he said, and they slowly picked themselves up, moving to actual furniture.

Marie sat between Margaret and Yu, slumping against Yu’s shoulder and glancing at Margaret. “You’re just as bad as them. You giant busybody,” she accused.

Margaret didn’t deny it. Instead, she just said, “Nameless is disappointed that you’ve missed so many of your music lessons.”

Marie flushed. “I-I… T-Tell him I’m sorry…” She ducked her head, refusing to look at anyone, and muttered, “You didn’t have to do all of this. It would have been better if you’d all just forgotten me.”

“Hey.” It was Dojima who spoke up this time, his tone scolding. “I might not know everything that’s going on, but it was pretty obvious that you didn’t want them to forget you.” When Marie made a confused sound, he elaborated, “If your goal was to be forgotten, you wouldn’t have left that comb. This kid has carried it around since Christmas, and it was the key to get into whatever your weird television dungeon was. So there was clearly some part of you that wanted help. Take it from a detective, no one leaves a clue on purpose unless they want to be caught.”

“You…” Marie started to cry. “You’re all idiots, oh my god.” She buried her face in her hands, and Yu slung an arm around her shoulders, smiling.

“You should know that by now.”

***

Eventually, Marie decided to return to the Velvet Room with Margaret. To apologize for vanishing so suddenly, she insisted. The Investigation Team had bid her goodnight, starting to trail up to bed as well after their exhausting foray into the TV after an equally exhausting day of skiing, eventually leaving just Yu to see them off.

“...it’s not done, you know,” Marie said quietly, as she tugged on the coat Chie had lent her.

“What do you mean?” Yu asked. Margaret waited by the door, her expression inscrutable.

“I mean, we’re pieces. Me and Ameno and Kunino. We’re all pieces of something. And that something still exists, and still wants the fog to come.” Marie looked at the floor. “There’s still a mystery to be solved, before everything ends. Hope is hanging on, but not by much.”

“Because Emptiness is winning?” Yu said, remembering the voice on the TV.

Marie nodded. “That’s right. Despair lost the game too early. And Emptiness is in the lead. But that’s all I know. I...still don’t remember everything. I don’t know whose game it was.”

“That’s okay,” Yu assured her. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

Marie offered him a grateful smile, and followed Margaret out of the resort. It was only ten minutes later, as he was changing for bed, that Yu realized the significance of what she had said.

_Despair lost the game too early._

Three pieces. Three people with powers to enter the TV. A broken man, crushed by loss. A distorted man, who saw the world as empty, and worthless. And...

That meant… Hope was…

_Well._ It wasn’t as great a burden as being Messiah, that was for sure. But still unbelievable. Yu took a deep breath, pulling on his pajamas and making himself a promise. They were going to find the gamemaster and put an end to this once and for all. Whatever it took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then the Velvet Attendants smothered Marie because god damn it you stupid girl you’re family too. XD
> 
> I’m actually pretty happy with how this turned out, considering how long it took. X’D The last Hollow Forest episode of Golden might be the most anime thing in the entire P4 anime. I haven’t decided yet if we’re skipping directly to March from here, but I’m damn well going to try to make Izanami’s plan more coherent.
> 
> You guys would laugh if you could see my notes document where I’m compiling thoughts for P5’s part of this. It ranges from perfectly normal “Let’s name the guy that sits behind Akira *this*”, to all-caps italicized yelling about Akechi’s personas, to random single lines of dialogue I’m hoping to be able to include. XD It’s a trip, especially the one I scribbled down last night before I fell asleep.
> 
> (Apparently I am doomed to do the House of Darkness twice per playthrough. -_- You’d think I’d learn by NG+ to make Akira immune to fear for that part. But I’m on track to max all confidantes and read all books, and I can’t stop giggling because I finally noticed that Akechi spends the whole Casino mimicking Akira. I wonder if he’s doing it on purpose or subconsciously.)


	33. March 4th, 2012

Yu wasn’t expecting a knock at the door this early on Sunday morning. It was his day off, both from school and work with his team. Progress had stalled on their investigation in the past few weeks, and he’d gotten up to fix breakfast for Nanako and Dojima as a sort of apology for not being around much as they scouted the television world for clues. The door demanded attention, though, and he dried his hands before heading to answer.

“Yes?” He slid the door open and froze, astonished at who was standing there. 

“Hello, Vice-Leader. May I come in?” Takeba Yukari was standing on their front porch, smiling at him. She was wearing a hoodie pulled up over her caramel hair, but it was obvious who she was, and Yu stepped aside to let her into the house without a second thought.

“Takeba-chan, it’s good to--”

“Honestly, I know it’s been a long time, but you can still call me by my first name,” Yukari laughed. She pulled the hood down, shaking her hair loose. “Sorry for the early hour; it was the least amount of traffic on the train. And I guess it wasn’t as long a time for you, huh?”

“You remember everything?” Yu asked, trailing behind her as she headed into the living room. He doublechecked to make sure that there was nothing pressing on the stove, put the milk back in the fridge, and joined her on the couch.

Yukari shrugged. “Some of it’s still a little fuzzy, but Minato-kun sent all of us that photo, and it started coming back. I can’t believe we forgot something that weird.”

Yu considered that. “It was pretty weird.” Between Kanji’s bathhouse and the Inaba Pride Exhibit, he was pretty sure he never wanted to experience any kind of steam room ever again. Not to mention almost marrying Minato. “So did Minato-senpai send you?”

“No... He’s still been busy helping Hamuko-chan and Shinjiro-senpai get settled.” Yukari’s smile faltered for a moment. “Things are going better, actually. It’s...not too weird to have Shinjiro-senpai back. And Hamuko actually went to dinner with me, Minato-kun, and Fuuka-chan about a week ago, and she seemed like she was okay.”

“That’s great.” Yu was glad that she was starting to adjust. It was terrible, seeing the dorm residents so miserable.

“Yeah. Anyway, he didn’t send me, I’m here on behalf of Mitsuru-senpai and the Shadow Operatives,” Yukari said. 

Yu’s eyes widened, but before he could ask, there were footsteps on the stairs, and his uncle came into view. Dojima rubbed his eyes, halfway to the kitchen for a cup of coffee before he seemed to realize that there was someone other than his nephew in the living room. “We have a guest this early?”

“Takeba Yukari,” she said, bowing her head. “Sorry for intruding, Narukami-san. It was the most convenient train.”

Dojima scoffed. “I’m not this kid’s dad, I’m his uncle. Dojima Ryotaro. Nice to meet you, Takeba-chan.” He went back to starting the coffeemaker, and Yukari blushed.

“Oops… I guess I don’t quite remember everything after all.”

“No harm done,” Yu shrugged. “What do the Shadow Operatives want at my house at...eight-thirty in the morning?”

Yukari raised an eyebrow. “Do you want the news, or the good news?”

“...just ‘news’? Not bad news?”

“It’s not good or bad. Just news.”

“Good news, then.”

“Mitsuru-senpai wants us all to get together in May, during Golden Week,” Yukari said, and Yu’s expression brightened considerably. “Your team, and ours, so that we can get reacquainted after wandering around the Abyss of Time together. Fuuka-chan’s really excited to see Rise-chan, and Junpei’s jealous that Koromaru and Ken-kun already got to see Yosuke-kun again.”

Yu nodded eagerly. “That sounds fantastic. Maybe we can all go on a day trip or something.”

“You could all come to Tokyo. There’s a lot of things there and around it. I bet we could bribe Mitsuru-senpai into taking us to Destinyland,” Yukari laughed. “As for the other news, ah…” She hesitated, then said bluntly. “Adachi Tohru-san has been released to the custody of the Shadow Operatives.”

“What?” Yu and Dojima said in unison. Yu just stared at her, uncertain what to say or think, and Dojima came over with his mug of coffee and sat down across from them. “What do you mean, released? He had a trial and was declared guilty, even though they didn’t believe the finer details of how he did it.”

Yukari smiled in a pacifying sort of way. “He’s in our custody, and still imprisoned, Dojima-san. But we are technically an arm of the police, and can you honestly say that the regular police are equipped to handle a case perpetrated by a persona-user?”

Dojima turned to look at Yu, who hadn’t tried to say anything yet. “Did you forget to mention something?”

“Uh…” There had been so much to talk about, with TVs and personas and murders and everything with Marie, some of the details about Minato had gotten lost. “I...might have forgotten to mention that the Shadow Operatives are part of the national police.”

“Mitsuru-senpai worked very hard to make it official,” Yukari beamed. “Though, as you can imagine, the incidents we handle are few and far-between, and there are many in the government that don’t believe in what we do.”

“Aren’t you just a reserve member, though? I feel like Minato mentioned that,” Yu said. “Why did you come, and not one of the others?”

“Well...she was going to send Kikuno-chan, but I figured you’d take it better from someone you knew,” Yukari admitted. “Plus, I was closer to Inaba than the others in Tokyo are, because of filming. And I was curious, about whether you looked just like I remembered. You do, by the way.”

Yu didn’t get a chance to respond before movement caught the corner of his eye. Hours in the dungeons, alert for any movements of shadows, had honed him to be hyperaware of that sort of thing, and he turned to see Nanako standing at the bottom of the stairs with her hands over her mouth. “Nanako? What is it?”

Her eyes were round with amazement. “O-Onii-chan… That’s…”

“Hm? Oh.” Yu gestured at Yukari. “This is my friend, Takeba Yukari. Yukari-chan, this is my cousin, Nanako.”

Yukari waved, but Nanako just looked even more like she was about to explode. “Onii-chan, why didn’t you tell me you’re friends with Feather Pink?!”

“Feather Pi--” Yu looked from Nanako to Yukari, and jolted with surprise as he realized that it was her. The same person that played Pink Argus on the newest incarnation of Featherman. They watched Phoenix Ranger Featherman Victory every Saturday night; he wasn’t sure how he hadn’t noticed sooner. “What the--?!” Wait...she had said _filming..._

“And here I thought you were just being polite,” Yukari said. “Either that or you’re just used to people showing up at the crack of dawn with hoods pulled up as a disguise.” She patted the sofa beside her, and Nanako raced over to sit next to her, practically vibrating with excitement. “It’s nice to meet you, Nanako-chan. So, you’re a Featherman fan?”

Nanako’s grin was radiant. “I’ve seen every episode! I got Onii-chan to watch with me, too!”

“Did you, now?”

Yu escaped to the kitchen to finish the pancakes he’d been making originally, before he could get sucked into a detailed discussion of storylines and weaponry. Nanako loved Feather Pink, and over the sound of mixing batter Yu could just barely hear Yukari promising to bring her ultimate bow next time, much to Dojima’s chagrin.

“We should teach her to shoot, too,” Yu called, and Dojima sighed heavily as Nanako looked like it was Christmas all over again.

Yu chuckled. It was still a little shocking to find out that he was friends with a famous celebrity, but not so much as finding out that Adachi was in the hands of a supernatural police force. Although, it made sense, because who else was going to believe in a murderer that could escape into a TV at any given moment, if not for promising to obey the rules? Who else was going to believe that they could summon parts of their inner selves to fight for them? He was...actually glad that Adachi was with the Shadow Operatives, because maybe they could help him in a way that prison couldn’t.

***

He convinced Yukari to stay for breakfast, but after that, she insisted that she needed to be getting back. She promised Nanako that she’d come back to visit again, and Yu walked her to the train station.

As they waited for the train, Yukari turned to him, her expression serious again. “There was one more thing I wanted to ask you, Yu-kun.”

“What is it?” He wasn’t sure he liked that look. That look had faced down the apocalypse, and who knew what else.

Yukari sighed. “Adachi-san wants to contact you. It would only be in a letter, not a phone call or anything, but we wanted to ask you first. If you don’t want to hear from him, I completely understand…”

Yu hesitated. Adachi was still a murderer. Adachi still had a lot of things to work out. But… he could feel their bond, somewhere inside him, still connected somehow. It was still reading as Hunger, but it was _there_ , and that meant something. “...okay.”

“Are you sure?” Yukari asked. “You don’t have to agree, you know?”

“I’m sure. I can at least see what he has to say.”

Yukari shook her head. “I can see why Minato-kun likes you. You’ve definitely got that ‘hero’ vibe.” As the train rolled into the station and the doors opened, she waved. “We’ll all see you soon, Yu-kun!”

“I’m holding you to that!” he called. He stood there long enough to watch the train pull away from the station, flattered that she’d come all the way out to Inaba instead of just calling, and then turned to head home. It would be interesting to hear what Adachi had to say, especially if he was just writing to Yu alone. They were definitely short on clues right now; maybe Adachi knew something about the greater whole behind Marie.

All they could do in the meantime was keep looking, but today was his day off, and he was going to enjoy it with his uncle and cousin. There weren’t many days left, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seemed in poor form to roll right from Kusumi-no-Okami into Izanami, so here. Have someone we haven't seen in a while. ^_^ I am going to tentatively say that this will have two more chapters, though: March 19th and 20th. And I'm going to beg your patience while I work on the big dramatic fight scene again. XDD
> 
> And then it's onto the intermediate stuff. "Facing the Sun" was mostly an excuse to get some extra ideas out of my system, but there's actually a lot of stuff that goes on between P4 and April, 2016. Most importantly what happened to the Velvet Room, but there's some other pressing things I want to set up, too. The backstory is important for how things played out, after all. And maybe a dance chapter or two for fun. XDDD
> 
> (The Plan for avoiding everything that happens post-Casino sounded no less freaking insane the second time around. Jeeze, these kids. "Let's pin literally everything on whether we can convince the woman that wants to catch the phantom thieves to do us a favor at the eleventh hour." I'm so glad I'm planning to go in another direction. And now that I've done it twice...wow, Akira's bruises and possible internal injuries went away awfully quick. :/ )


	34. March 20th, 2012

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good lord almighty it's done, take it, take it. Holy heck it's long but it's DONE.
> 
> Please enjoy the final battle. Just the epilogue left now...

Yu had known when he arrived that he was only going to be in Inaba for a year. He’d stepped off the train, feeling abandoned and alone and determined not to let anyone close, and in the span of three days all of his careful plans had been dismantled. His friends had crashed into his life with the subtlety of a freight train, and then everything in the television world had created a bond that he had never imagined. It had even shifted arcana along the way, changing from Fool to Judgment as they swore to not just investigate, but to find the truth no matter what. They’d fought monsters, saved lives, befriended the townspeople, and confronted a being intent on ending the world as they knew it.

And it hurt, to walk around the town knowing that he was leaving tomorrow.

He’d refused a going-away party, hadn’t told his friends that his birthday had been less than a week ago… He was seventeen years old now, and still probably wasn’t coping with this in a healthy way. Dojima and Nanako had been worried, but had respected his wishes not to say anything. And what was he supposed to do? Leaving Inaba wasn’t a reason to throw a party, and he felt too melancholy to celebrate anything else. Even his birthday.

And not only was he leaving, they had failed. Weeks of searching, and still no hints about who the true mastermind behind the Midnight Channel was. His team had promised to keep searching, and Marie had sworn she would keep trying to remember, but it wasn’t the same. And his Velvet Room remained stubbornly a limo, refusing him access to the rest and just serving as a reminder that he hadn’t finished his journey yet. Time was up, the end of the road had arrived, and he wasn’t ready. Game over.

Marie met him in the shopping district once he’d made his rounds of the town, sneaking up on him and sliding her hand into his. “Saying goodbye to your friends?” she asked quietly. She was the only one in the past week who had noticed how upset he was. Or maybe she was just the only one that had been blunt enough to say something about it.

“The ones I won’t get to see tomorrow,” he said, equally quiet. He squeezed her hand. “Where are the others? I haven’t seen any of them around.”

“Well…” Her face twisted into a pout. “I know you said you didn’t want a party, but those idiots ordered sushi and are waiting at your house. Your uncle and Nanako were in on it, too.”

Yu sighed, but couldn’t help but smile. “They mean well. I’m the one being depressed and flat.”

Marie stepped back to look him over. He did seem more...wilted, than he had in the immediate aftermath of the Hollow Forest. It had been a gradual decline, but now she was noticing it fully, how his eyes didn’t have their usual spark, and how his enthusiasm had depleted. She took a few steps back and planted her feet, holding out her hand to shake. “Well, then I’ll take responsibility to keep them from overwhelming you. Deal?”

“Deal,” Yu agreed, taking her hand.

Marie smiled, but jolted as a sudden flash of memory struck her. The same pose, the same handshake, but his eyes were different. They didn’t look at her with familiarity. And then there was Adachi, smiling but with his eyes so dead. And Namatame, his eyes anxious and sad. Three handshakes. Three chosen. She stared at Yu, uncertain what to say, and he frowned.

“Is everything all right?”

“It’s fine, just...lost in thought for a minute.” Marie beamed, forcing the expression only a little, and tugged at his hand. “Come on, or Yosuke’s going to eat all the good stuff before we get there.”

“Either that or the girls will try to doctor it,” Yu said with an exaggerated shudder. “And then it’ll be inedible.”

Marie matched his shudder with an exaggerated gasp. “Let’s go, then, let’s go go go!” She tugged at his hand, and together they raced down the street towards his house, and Yu smiled for the first time in over five days.

***

No one had done anything to the sushi, and they proceeded to gorge themselves on fatty tuna and spring rolls and salmon. They apologized for throwing him a party even though he’d said he didn’t want one, but Yu was actually grateful. It took his mind off of leaving, being around the people he loved.

“So you said you’ll be back for Golden Week?” Yukiko asked, pouring another round of soda for everyone.

Yu nodded. “Mitsuru-san apparently wants us all to get together, but I’ll be here first, and then I think the plan is for all of us to travel to Tokyo. Yukari-chan wants to see about Destinyland.”

“Destinyland?!” the team cried in shock. All of them had heard of the massive theme park, of course, but none of them had ever been, or imagined they would ever go. Nanako looked like she could combust at any moment, while Marie just looked confused by the whole concept.

“Maybe while we’re there we can ask them for help trying to figure out this thing with the Midnight Channel,” Chie said. “They’ve got a lot of experience with this stuff too.”

“Are we really gonna worry about that when there’s rides to go on?” Yosuke cried. “It’s _Destinyland_ , come on, guys!”

Naoto shook her head. “It’s not even a guarantee yet. Honestly…” But she couldn’t hide the smile on her face.

“But I’ve never been to an amusement park!” Teddie and Marie said almost in unison.

“It’s not just _an_ amusement park. It’s _Destinyland_. That’s like, _the_ amusement park. The Kingdom of Dreams!”

Dojima had disappeared at some point to get the mail and make sure they weren’t loud enough to bother the neighbors, and he returned to interrupt Kanji’s rather animated explanation of all the different wonders of Destinyland by dropping a letter in front of Yu. “This is for you,” he said, and his voice had an odd hitch to it.

Yu picked up the letter curiously, finding Adachi’s name in the place where the return address would be. There was no location, no indication of where the Shadow Operatives were keeping him, and Yu looked around at his friends before slowly opening the envelope.

> _Narukami,_
> 
> _I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, cooped up in here. Although, I have to say, your friends got me a nicer cell than the tiny one back in Okina. But I’ve been thinking about Dojima-san, and Nanako-chan, and even you, I guess. Back then, I didn’t really consider the time I spent with you guys to be particularly happy. But, it was. And I’m grateful I have the chance to realize that now._
> 
> _That doesn’t mean you’re not an idiot for coming after me. That perfect hero facade’s going to get you killed one day, moron._
> 
> _I promised to play by the rules of this world, so I’m not planning to cause any trouble. Something’s still bothering me, though. I heard the rumors about the Midnight Channel almost as soon as I got to town. Namatame, too, from what I got to read of the reports. Where does something like that come from? And the three of us had our powers from the start. We didn’t have to fight for them. It’s just strange, and I can’t put my finger on why._
> 
> _Maybe it will be helpful, maybe not. It was just something bugging me. I expect you’ve moved on to meddling in something else now, so good luck with whatever that is. And good luck to whatever poor, unsuspecting loser is going up against you, too._
> 
> _\-- Adachi Tohru_
> 
> _P.S.: You lot are friends with a robot?_

Yu finished reading the letter out loud, and set it on the tabletop. Everyone had fallen silent, and then Rise said very quietly, “That’s right, senpai. You got your persona first.”

“It was only the third day of school, too,” Chie pointed out. “We watched the Midnight Channel, and then you came in that morning and started talking about putting your hand in the TV.”

“What if that’s the answer we’ve been looking for?” Yosuke said. “Your powers are connected to the TV, so maybe the person that’s behind the Midnight Channel was behind your powers, too. If we knew who gave them to you...”

Yu frowned. “But nothing weird happened, if you don’t count the fact that someone was murdered on my first day of school. I got to town, I unpacked, I met you guys…” He glanced at his uncle and Nanako. “And then we fell in a TV and I got my persona. I had a weird dream the first night, but I figured that was just because of stress from moving to a new place.”

Marie wrapped her arms around her knees, leaning her chin on them. “I...sort of remembered something.” Everyone turned to look at her, and she added quickly, “Nothing major! Just… I remember shaking your hand, Yu. And Adachi’s. And Namatame’s.”

“But you never met Namatame, did you?” Naoto asked.

“I don’t think I was _me_ ,” Marie said. “Or, no. It’s not that I wasn’t me, I’m...seeing the memories of a different piece of me. The main part, I guess.”

“So this fourth piece is somewhere in town!?” Kanji cried. “It’s been right under our noses this whole time?”

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of rain as it began to patter against the roof, as the team wracked their brains, trying to figure out who was out of the ordinary, who was suspicious. It wasn’t like with Adachi, where they could narrow it down. Everyone had just become a suspect. Anyone had just become a possible enemy in disguise. But before the team could panic too much, Nanako spoke up, sounding confused.

“But Onii-chan, something weird did happen when you got here.”

“Huh?” Yu looked as confused as Nanako sounded. “What do you mean?”

“You got carsick all of a sudden after we stopped for gas,” Nanako said.

“Oh!” Dojima made a surprised noise. “Yeah, you did get awfully green there for a few minutes. I was worried you were gonna pass out before we could get some food in you.”

Yu stared down at the table, at his hands, thinking back to that day. It had been raining then, too, and he had felt ill out of nowhere just after they’d gotten gas. And when they’d stopped at the station, the first person that he’d met other than his uncle and cousin had been the station attendant, who’d welcomed him and offered him a job…

Who had…

_...shaken his hand._

Very slowly, he reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone, handing it to his cousin. “Nanako, do me a favor. Call Minato-senpai and tell him to bring Ryoji-senpai and meet us in the shopping district. Tell him that we solved it. I’ll be right back.” He got up, disappearing upstairs and leaving Nanako to make the call as his confused friends watched.

“Mina-niichan said he’s on his way,” she reported when Yu returned. He accepted the phone back, tucking it into his pocket and hefting the jar where he’d been stashing the extra yen from the dungeons. “We need to go shopping, guys. We need beads and stuff. There’s none left from December.” He glanced at Dojima. “We’re going to go end this. Stay here with Nanako.”

His uncle looked utterly clueless, but nodded, and Yu led the way to the door, his equally-boggled friends trailing behind him.

“Yu-senpai, what did you figure out?” Naoto said, as they headed for the store.

“It’s the gas station attendant. She spoke to me, my first day here, and shook my hand,” he said. “She was the only one, before we went into the TV.” They rounded the corner into the shopping district, heading for Shiroku. “And Namatame and Adachi would have driven into town. They’d have stopped for gas or food or something after the long trip out here. So she would have seen them first too. Greeted them, welcomed them to town, _shaken their hands_.”

If the clerk at Shiroku thought it was weird when Yu brought both mostly-full containers of beads to the checkout and paid for all of them like it was nothing, he didn’t say anything. None of them had ever bothered to learn what the store thought of the ridiculous profit they were probably making off of items that had just appeared in their store one day, but the clerk never seemed fazed, so apparently everything was fine.

Minato and Ryoji were waiting when they left the store, and a step behind them, Hamuko and Shinjiro were there too. After a brief round of introductions for the rest of the team, Hamuko smiled at Yu and winked. “Hey, you heard me out before. Plus, you’re my brother’s friend. Of course I’m gonna be here to help with the ending. Even if we did have to sneak through the Velvet Room so Igor wouldn’t figure out where we were going.”

“What’s the Nose’s problem?” Marie grumbled. “You don’t have to follow the rules like the blue people do.”

“We try to at least pretend we’re following the rules,” Minato said simply, a small smile on his face. “So, where are we going?”

“The gas station,” Yu said, and Shinjiro raised an eyebrow.

“Not a dungeon? You know those beads aren’t gonna work in the real world. And I saw all your weapons stashed in the TV.”

“She won’t be able to fight in the real world either. I hope,” Yu said. He took a deep breath. “All we can do at this point is confront her. We need to know what’s been going on. I don’t like feeling like I’ve been used.”

***

The rain was a steady drizzle by the time they reached the gas station, though no one seemed to be paying attention to how wet they were getting. The gas attendant was standing under the awning, her cap pulled low over her eyes, but she glanced up when the group approached.

“Huh? What are all of you doing out in the rain? You’re gonna catch a cold, wandering around like that.”

Yu stopped just a few yards in front of her, silver eyes determined. “Don’t bother trying to play nice. We know it’s you.”

For a brief second, her eyes flickered to Marie, then back to him. “Oh? I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”

“Just stop!” Marie cried, frustration evident in her voice. “We found you. The game’s over!”

The attendant tilted her head, regarding them all with something that might have been fondness if not for the underlying threat in the expression. “...you’re right,” she said. “The game has been over for months, and ultimately, you lost. Why do you still chase pointlessly after me?”

“Because we want the truth!” Yu demanded. “Who are you?”

“The truth?” The attendant laughed lowly. “Very well. I shall tell you the truth. I am Izanami, a goddess born aeons ago to fulfill the wishes of humanity. I have brought the fog to your world.” A gust of wind drew mist and rain around her, forming a funnel that blocked her from the team’s view, and when it dissipated the gas station’s uniform was gone, replaced with pale flowing robes. Izanami looked upon them all with cold red eyes, a mocking smile on her face. “Is that what you wanted to know? Is that the truth you were looking for?”

Marie had taken a step back, her expression anxious, and the older persona-users clustered at the back of the group, quiet, but prepared to move at a moment’s notice. This was Yu’s team’s fight; they were just there for backup, but they knew that none of the kids had ever had to stare down a goddess before. No one was going to die, if they could help it.

“She’s a lot less scary than Nyx,” Hamuko whispered to Minato.

“...Ryoji was a lot less scary than Nyx, too, but that wasn’t the end of it,” Minato whispered back, unconvinced that this was all they were going to have to face.

“I want to know everything,” Yu told Izanami. “Why are you playing this game? How did we _lose?_ We defeated everything that was thrown at us!”

Izanami laughed. “You are a foolish child. But determined, I see. Very well. Come to me, in that place, and we will see if you are worthy to know.” Her form faded, until they were standing alone on the street, and everyone let out a nervous breath.

“Another dungeon,” Rise said after a moment. “That’s what she meant, right?”

Yu nodded. “Looks like we’re going into the TV after all.” He glanced back at the four standing near the back. “Are you coming with us?”

“If you think we’re letting you do this alone, you’re an idiot,” Shinjiro said bluntly. “We’re all going to do what we can.”

“Thank you,” Yu said, and turned back to the shopping district. “Let’s go.”

***

The dungeon was modeled after Yomotsu Hirasaka, the slope of the entrance to the underworld. Which would have been unnerving, if they hadn’t had backup. Minato, Ryoji, Hamuko, and Shinjiro took the lead, insisting that the others needed to save their strength for the fight ahead.

“There’s no way she’s not going to want to fight,” Ryoji had said dryly. “And that’s absolutely on you guys. The culmination of your journey. So take it easy while you can.”

There was still a bit of fighting on the way, but for the most part, the Investigation Team got to watch in awe as their older counterparts ripped through everything in the dungeon like so much as tissue paper. Ryoji was a blur, sword moving in crescent arcs and coffin-draped persona trailing behind him, while Shinjiro and Hamuko fought side-by-side, blowing the shadows that got in their way apart effortlessly.

“I’m not the Universe anymore, but I’m still World, and I can still kick some ass!” Hamuko cheered, slamming her naginata through a shadow’s chest.

And Minato looked completely unaffected, wielding his sword like a master and summoning and spellcasting with what looked like no effort at all. It was incredible, and Yu wondered if he’d ever be as powerful as any of the four of them.

The floors of the dungeon passed in a blur, and then they arrived at the final area, where Izanami was waiting for them. The older persona-users didn’t fall back quite yet, suspicious of her intentions, and she looked them over with an expression that actually seemed impressed.

“So you made it all the way here,” she said, and gestured sharply at them.

But Ryoji was faster, miming the gunshot to call Thanatos and shouting, _"Moonless Gown!”_ His eyes glowed blue, and as dark hands swarmed out of the ground, grabbing for the team, they were deflected by curtains of pale light that Yu recognized from long ago in Yukiko’s castle.

Izanami looked right at Yu. “You have quite powerful friends.”

“I’m lucky,” Yu replied. “Now, tell me! What was the point of this game?!”

Izanami smiled. “I came into existence to grant the wishes of humanity. But somewhere along the way, humanity stopped wishing for truth and life, and began to crave an easy way instead. Their compliance and wish for ease is but a symptom of a larger problem: a desire for someone else to take control, to not have to think too hard. And so I conceived this game, and chose this town as my gameboard. I chose three people with potential to carry the fates of humanity, to see which of their actions had the greatest effect on the collective unconscious. I opened a window to the heart of humanity to give people the means to make their desires known. And in the end...they saw what they wanted to see.”

She pointed at the Investigation Team, one to the next. “Humans stopped seeking the truth because it’s painful. They hide their inner selves to the point that confronting them is nearly the death of them, while looking to their perceptions of others as entertainment. In the end, they proved that they care nothing for how things really are, and Emptiness had the greatest effect on the town. Humanity’s will is to fade into the fog, and chase their fantasies forever as shadows. True happiness...is to see only the world that you wish to see.”

“That’s a lie!” Yu cried. “Turning away from the truth, turning away from reality, will only make you miserable! Adachi-san is proof of that!”

“So you believe. Your Hope is strong. But the Hope of one is not greater than the Apathy of all.” She looked at Marie. “What of you? Would you not prefer to go on without your memories, and pretend that you were normal, instead of a monster that would harm the friends you care for so much?”

Marie stared at the floor, and Yukiko put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t listen to her! You’re not a monster.”

But Marie just laughed, quietly and then growing louder, and snapped emerald eyes up to meet Izanami’s. “That’s hilarious, considering you took my memories in the first place for your own wishes,” she spat. “We’re two parts of a whole because you were breaking in half anyway. I’m the part of you that protects humanity; you’re the part that grants their desires. And their desires were going to hurt them, and we couldn’t exist with the paradox.” She snarled. “But _I’m_ stronger. You took my memories so you could do as you pleased and use me. And you might have the power of both Sagiri with you, but if we were to become one again, _I’d_ be the one in charge.”

“That doesn’t matter!” Izanami cried. “Humanity has rejected the truth! All shall end with the coming of the fog. I have given you more time than you deserved.” She spread her arms wide, and the mist drifting at the edges of the room began to thicken. It swirled around the walls, though never filled more of the room, as if it was escaping through cracks in the dungeon.

“No!” Naoto cried. “Is she sending the fog back into the real world?”

“We have to hurry!” Chie shouted. “Let’s kick her ass and make sure that she knows we’re never going to accept a world of fog!”

Rise called up Kanzeon, trying to scan. “She’s even stronger than the Sagiri and the Reaper, guys! Be careful!”

“Check your weapons, everyone!” Yu ordered, and they all jumped to obey.

Izanami laughed. “Knowledge of the truth is not everything, you arrogant children. You think you are capable of defeating a goddess? Fine. Come.” 

The same sort of funnel from the gas station surrounded her, but it grew larger and larger, and when it cleared Izanami had become a massive, skeletal creature, leering at them from on high. Even the mentors of the group were shocked, but Yu swallowed the instinctive fear at the sight of something so massive and said sharply, “We can do this. We have to do this. Rise, stats?”

“It’ll drain electricity, and light and dark won’t work,” Rise replied.

“Right. Kanji, Naoto, hang back and focus on support. Everyone else, let’s go!”

But before they could charge forward, Minato cried out with pain, dropping to his knees and clutching at his chest. Ryoji was at his side in a moment, asking what was wrong, but Minato could only manage a wordless sob, eyes squeezed shut. A second later, whatever was wrong seemed to hit Ryoji too, and he slumped, letting out a cry of agony. The spell protecting them shattered as his focus was lost, and Yu, terrified, looked from them to the Investigation Team. “What’s going on?” he asked frantically.

Ryoji managed to grit out, “It’s _her_. The fog--! She’s going to flood _everywhere._ ”

“It’s go...going t-to…cause...” Minato gasped for breath. “P-Pandemic. The beginning st-stages of Apathy Syndraaaaaa _aaaaaa!_ ” He hunched over, arms wrapped around himself as if trying to defend from some invisible attack. “Erebus can feel them… It’s trying t-to get through…harder than usual!”

“T-That’s what happened in my timeline!” Hamuko gasped. “The fog starts the loss of will that causes people to become shadows! And if their will to live is gone…”

“You guys have to defeat her,” Shinjiro ordered, already dragging Ryoji and Minato back away from the battleground. “We can protect these two. As long as they’re still alive, the Seal will hold, if you hurry up.”

“You heard the man,” Yosuke said, and Yu nodded. As one, they all turned to face the monster the goddess had become and raced forward, determined to bring her down.

***

It quickly became apparent that letting their friends shred their way through the dungeon had been the smart choice. It was taking every bit of their energy and focus to keep battling, making sure to watch each others’ backs and keep each other alive, and it didn’t seem like it was doing anything to Izanami.

Hamuko and Shinjiro took turns throwing buffs at the team, deflecting stray attacks and keeping Minato and Ryoji safe. Yu directed his team with more precision than he ever had before. But when they finally landed a decisive hit, Marie cried out in pain, and Yu whirled to look at her in shock.

“Marie! What happened?!”

Marie forced a smile, waving him back. “It’s fine. She’s me; we’re tied together. But you can’t stop now, or the fog…”

Yu hesitated, and Izanami chuckled darkly. “That changes things, does it not? Knowing that to destroy me would mean the destruction of Marie as well.”

“Yu, don’t listen to her, pay attention!” Marie cried, but Izanami gestured widely, and the dark, shadowy hands burst from the ground, grabbing for the Investigation Team. Screams filled the space as they tried to deflect them and fight them off, but the hands grabbed for ankles, wrists, clothing, catching hold and dragging them under. Yu lunged for Yosuke, catching his hand, but he wasn’t able to drag his friend out of the pit of darkness that had opened under him.

“Stop it, stop it!” he yelled. “Don’t! Let them go!” Yosuke’s fingers slipped from his, disappearing below the surface, and he cried out in agony. “No! Yosuke! Guys!”

Minato’s eyes widened where he was hunched behind Shinjiro and Hamuko, and he tried to stagger forward, but stumbled. Ryoji barely caught him, and he shook his head furiously. “No, no, no, not the others, no…”

“No…” Yu echoed from his spot before Izanami. “No, no, everyone…”

The goddess cackled. “See what your search for the truth has brought you! You’ve let your friends die for you, and your actions will kill Marie! Wouldn’t you rather give yourself over to the fog, and never have to be without them? Can you really go on, without your friends behind you?”

“No… I… I can’t…” Yu muttered, oblivious to Hamuko and Marie screaming his name. The hands reached from the ground, grabbing at his legs, and Hamuko tried to run forward, only to be driven back by a furious gust of wind, keeping her from getting to him. Above him, Izanagi, who until now had had his weapon at the ready, disintegrated into motes of darkness.

“You stand here to prove to me that Hope will prevail in the end, but even you yield to Emptiness! Even you choose to deny the truth!” Izanami crowed. “Surrender to a comforting lie, and embrace the fog!”

The older persona-users could only watch in horror as Yu disappeared beneath the surface, and Hamuko grabbed Marie, dragging her back to the safety of their little cluster. The goddess loomed over them, seemingly content for the moment to let them cower in their corner, and Marie covered her face in anguish. She’d screwed up. She hadn’t been able to help her best friend, and now they were _all_ gone. What were they going to do?

***

He was alone. He was alone, and everything was darkness.

He had to get up. He had to go back, to face Izanami, to get to Marie…

But what would he do? Fighting Izanami would end Marie. His friends were gone. He couldn’t reach Izanagi, or his other personas. How was he supposed to go on like that?

Maybe she had been right. Maybe the truth really just was pain. He could have just enjoyed his party with his friends, but he had dragged them to the gas station and now they were _gone_.

And it was all his fault.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, sinking deeper and deeper into despair. He wondered if this was how Namatame felt, his whole life crumbling around him, no one to support or help him. But Yu didn’t have anywhere else to run, like Namatame had tried to. This was it, and there was no way out.

He almost didn’t hear the sound of heels clicking in the emptiness until they were right on top of him. As it was, when he looked up to try to find the source of the sound, he was met with a hand connecting solidly with his cheek. “Ow!” When the stars cleared from his eyes, he saw Margaret standing over him, so many different emotions in her golden eyes that he wasn’t sure which to pick out as the main one.

“What are you _doing?_ ” she demanded, and oh, that was worry. Or maybe fury. Had he ever seen Margaret truly angry at something before? He stared up at her blankly, and her eyes narrowed. She took a step back, the compendium appearing in her hands, and opened the thick book. “Get up, Wild Card. Is your journey ending here?”

What other choice did he have? His personas had gone. He was next to useless like this, alone, lost, without his friends…

“Will you not confront your inner self, as all of your friends did?” Margaret cried. She pulled a card from the compendium, holding it up. Judgment. Her gaze kept darting from him to somewhere behind him. “They’re waiting for you to save them. You cannot just give up now!”

Was Margaret even supposed to be here? How had she gotten here? What was this place…?

Margaret’s expression fell, and she said regretfully, “It truly pains me that I have to do this…” The card vanished from her hand, and in its place, Lucifer shimmered into being behind her. “But if this is what it will take to wake you up…!” She and the persona raised their hands in unison, and a blinding light appeared above them, growing brighter and brighter. It was only when it was coming right at him that Yu’s eyes widened, his fuzzy mind finally seeming to restart as he registered that Margaret was actually attacking him.

He tried to dodge, but still got caught in the explosion, and he was thrown several feet to slam into the ground. When he managed to push himself up, Margaret wasn’t looking at him, but rather at the spot where he had been, and he glanced over before freezing with shock.

There was another him, on his knees with his hands over his eyes, weeping. He was covered in dust and debris from the explosion, but didn’t seem to notice. Yu staggered to his feet, taking a few tentative steps towards the crying boy, and the other him looked up with shadow-gold eyes.

_“I don’t want to be alone!”_ he wailed, distraught. _“I can’t…! Everyone leaves, everyone forgets me in the end, and now all of my friends are gone, all over again! I can’t go on alone… I don’t want to! Not again!”_

“M-Margaret…” Yu pleaded, and she shook her head, clearly indicating that she wasn’t going to do anything more.

The shadow let out a sob. _“I’m so scared… I don’t want them to forget about me. I don’t want to be abandoned!”_

“That’s right…” Yu whispered. “I’m afraid that I’ll leave, and my friends will forget me. I’m afraid that they’ll abandon me, like everyone else. Because I’m you. And you’re me.” He knelt down in front of the shadow, searching for the words, and finally settled on simply, “But we’re not alone.” And as he said it, he realized the truth of it. “Margaret came to get me,” he said. “And Marie is waiting for me. And the Shadow Operatives. I...have to go back.”

_“But...what if I end up all alone?”_

Yu swallowed hard. “I might, I guess. But I won’t know if I die here.”

The shadow looked up, sniffling, but reached for Yu’s hand. Yu took it, lacing their fingers together, and the shadow offered him a tiny smile. He dissolved into light, and Yu felt Izanagi’s presence return to his mind. He rubbed at his eyes, then got up to face Margaret. “I…”

Margaret crushed another card, casting diarahan on him. “I apologize for attacking you like that. I knew that you would survive it, but I could not think of another way to snap you out of it without wasting too much time. Knocking down both you and the shadow at once seemed the most expeditious way.”

“It’s okay,” Yu said, feeling the damage from the explosion heal. “What’s...happening outside?”

“Elizabeth and Theodore are handling things,” Margaret said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Theodore is warning Minato’s other friends so that they can handle as the fog continues to spread, and Elizabeth has gone to deal with Erebus for now. The others will be okay for a little longer, but they need you.”

“How do I get back?”

Margaret glanced behind him, and smiled. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”

Yu turned to look, and there was a glow forming in the empty void, and as he watched, he could hear Marie calling his name, begging him to come back. He took a step towards it, then looked back at Margaret. “Thank you. _Thank you_.”

“Go,” Margaret said quietly, and Yu raced into the glow and disappeared. His attendant looked at the floor, a smile quirking her lips. She, Theodore, and Elizabeth hadn’t even discussed what they were going to do. They had just moved, willing to take whatever punishment their master had to give later. Margaret felt like a bit of a hypocrite, considering how much scolding she had laid on her siblings in the past, but she was finally starting to acknowledge that Elizabeth was right. They were meant to watch over their guests. And if that meant pulling them from the depths of despair, so be it.

Narukami Yu wasn’t dying on her watch.

***

Marie screamed when her hand sank into the floor, but it was pale, instead of a pit of shadows, and a hand grabbed hers beneath the surface. Her eyes widened, and she pulled as hard as she could, Hamuko and Shinjiro grabbing hold of her as well to help as they levered Yu out of the floor.

Minato, looking significantly less pained, crawled over to check him over. “You’re okay,” the other Wild Card said thankfully.

“I told you he wasn’t dead,” Ryoji said, but he looked relieved all the same.

They all clustered protectively around him, as Izanami loomed incredulously. “You reject a life in the fog, even though your friends are gone? You believe that you alone can stand against the wish of all of humanity?”

Yu got to his feet, gesturing around him. “But I’m not alone,” he said, quiet but somehow filling the space. “I have all of my friends. Even if they aren’t all present.” Now that he could focus through the initial panic, he could tell. The bonds were still there, unbroken. His friends would be okay, if he could get them back. “And I know what to do now.”

Marie looked surprised when he offered her a hand, but took it, stepping up beside him. Together, they moved forward through the re-cast protection of moonless gown, walking towards Izanami unflinchingly.

“Your truth is not stronger than the fog of the hollow forest!” Izanami roared. She threw a wave of fire at them, but it deflected, and the Arisato twins exchanged a high-five for a well-timed double-cast of makarakarn.

Yu shook his head. “It’s not just my truth. I believe in all truths. Myriad truths going forward into the future. Humanity still has a chance. Humanity still has hope!” Izanagi burst into existence above them, shining with a light that grew brighter and brighter until it obscured him from view. When the light faded, he had changed, his armor white and gold and his sword even more elaborate. Yu raised a hand, calling to him. _“Izanagi-no-Okami!”_

The final tarot card appeared above his outstretched hand, and he crushed it, his eyes never leaving Izanami. His persona lifted his weapon, a beam of light bursting from the circular guard and shooting towards the monstrous goddess.

Izanami screamed, but she couldn’t resist the force of the attack. And Marie, at Yu’s side, held steady, even as the light faded and revealed Izanami once again back in her human form. Yu nudged Marie forward gently, and she walked slowly towards her counterpart, stopping in front of Izanami.

“We have to look after them,” she said. “And we have to trust them. There are more people out there like him. I just know it.”

“If more people were like him, this game never would have begun,” Izanami replied. “This is just a small part of a bigger problem.”

“I know,” Marie said. “But it’s our part, and we need to make it right, now.” She took the last step forward, wrapping her arms around the defeated goddess. Izanami sighed, seeming to crumple, and slowly faded, until Marie was left there alone. She turned back to face Yu, smiling. “I’m what I’m supposed to be, now. I am Izanami-no-Mikoto.”

Yu took a deep breath, and Izanagi vanished. “Everything is over…” But as he looked at her, he realized Marie was disappearing too. “Marie!”

“It’s okay. I’ll be back,” she assured him, still smiling. “You accomplished the impossible, but there’s still some things I have to set right. Be with your friends, have a safe trip home tomorrow, and I promise you that I’ll see you again. Idiot.” She stepped away from him, her form almost completely gone, and the world around them faded to black.

***

When Yu woke up again, he was lying in the grass in the middle of the most beautiful field he’d ever seen. He laid there for a second, taking stock of how he felt, and then he realized he could hear Teddie’s voice, happily crying that his world was back to normal.

He sat up, looking around frantically. All of his friends were there, marveling at the new appearance of the television world, but when they realized he was up they crowded around him, pushing and shoving to be the first to give him a hug. And Yu couldn’t help but smile and try to hug them all at once.

He hadn’t lied to Izanami. He wasn’t alone. And with friends like these, he never would be again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold, a desperate flail to justify the leap in logic from “someone is responsible for everything” to “it’s the gas attendant”. I’m still not sure how either anime expected people to follow how they got to the final battle. Even people who played the game. Also a desperate flail to reconcile the two different endings. Kaguya's nice and all, but Myriad Truths wins out in the end.
> 
> I skimmed back over P1 to doublecheck a few things, and I’m finally going to start watching P2:IS in the next day or so. There’s a guy with great “movie” versions of ALL the games on youtube. I’m actually really impressed. And I have...quite a lot of thoughts about P1 now compared to when I first watched it, thanks to added context from P5. 
> 
> But in the meantime, a discussion question for you guys: The Velvet kids fight with the compendiums, but if they were to have actual weapons, what do you think those weapons would be? I was trying to picture it the other day, and for some reason all that comes to mind is Elizabeth with some kind of battleaxe like Haru’s, or even bigger. Just smiling, polite elevator attendant and then suddenly giant freaking weapon.
> 
> As for my NG+ run… Mementos missions finished, compendium completed, Twins beaten, books read, confidantes maxed, video games played, Guardian caught! :D Onward into Mementos to kick the giant cup’s ass and earn my “All Confidantes Maxed” trophy, because freaking Yald and Morgana won’t max yet. But I got everything done I wanted to! I’m so happy!
> 
> And my parents both walked by while I was fighting Mara for that last Mementos mission. FML. X’’D


	35. March 21st, 2012

Despite having a train to catch, Yu found himself on his way to the Velvet Room the next morning, by personal request. Margaret had actually come to fetch him, promising that it wouldn’t take long, and he’d followed along behind her as she refused to answer any questions. 

He’d spent most of the prior evening telling his uncle about what had happened, toned down to minimize unnecessary worrying, but Dojima still wasn’t happy that they’d run off and nearly gotten killed by a goddess. He swore up and down that if Yu wasn’t literally leaving town, he’d never let him out of his sight ever again, because he kept charging into dangerous situations.

There was a faint awkward aura in the Velvet Room, and when Yu realized that Margaret and Igor were avoiding eye contact with each other, he thought he could guess why. The siblings had gone a bit off the rails there at the end; there was no way that Igor was happy with them. But Igor’s expression was nothing but proud as he looked at Yu, saying, “So, your journey has reached the end. You have overcome every challenge that rose before you and achieved the final arcana, the World. Your contract here has concluded.”

“I couldn’t have done it without my friends,” Yu said, and Igor’s gaze drifted to Margaret for just a moment before focusing back on him.

“The bonds forged with friends and companions are the true heart of a Wild Card’s power. It is no surprise that those bonds would have seen you through,” he said. “And you did not give up. You saw your pursuit of the truth through to the end, even when things seemed darkest, and because of that, we have a gift for you.” Igor held out a gloved hand, and there was a shining stone sitting in his palm, perfectly round and emitting a faint light.

Yu took it tentatively, watching the faint way that the lights swirled just beneath the polished surface. “What is it?”

“The Orb of Sight,” Igor said. “The power of your bonds and your unwavering pursuit of the truth have crystallized into this form. You have seen through the fog meant to drown humanity; no illusions shall be capable of deceiving you from this point forward.”

Eyes wide, Yu closed his hand around the orb, pressing it to his heart. “I… Thank you.”

Igor shook his head. “It was your determination that formed it. To pass it on to you is merely our duty.” He folded his hands on the table in front of him. “You have been an exceptional guest. And your key will remain in your possession, that you may continue to have access to this room if you require it.” Then, quieter, “Though I am wondering if maybe all of you are a bad influence…”

Yu got ready to protest, to defend Margaret, but Igor was smiling, and clearly wasn’t as upset as Yu had initially thought. The Master of the Velvet Room hummed thoughtfully, adding, “It is our prior guest and Death Incarnate causing the most trouble, at the very least.”

“...I can see that,” Yu admitted, and even Margaret nodded, trying not to laugh.

“In any case,” Igor said, “we wish you a safe trip, and hope that you continue to be as exceptional in the future.”

Normally leaving would feel bittersweet, but he knew that he would see them again, so Yu bid Igor farewell and let Margaret accompany him back to the shopping district. Once they were clear of the room and the door had shut behind them, Yu hugged her tightly. “I hope you’re not in too much trouble.”

“I believe after Theodore’s actions at Christmas, our master is slowly giving up on stopping us from acting in dire situations,” Margaret said, returning the embrace. “He should know by now that we will not see our guests die if we can help it.”

“Well, thank you again. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up.” And that was nothing but the absolute truth. Without that explosion to the face...who knew where any of them would be?

When Margaret pulled away, she wouldn’t meet his eyes, clearly embarrassed. “I just did what anyone would have done, if a friend was in trouble.” She waved him off. “Go on, your friends are waiting to see you off. I’ll see you again soon.”

“See you soon,” Yu echoed the promise. “And if Marie comes back before I do, tell her I miss her already, okay?”

“I will.”

***

Having to say goodbye to his friends and family was almost enough to make him cry, especially when Nanako started crying when she hugged him. But it was easier, knowing that they were all going to see each other again in a little over a month, and there were always phone calls and the internet. Yosuke promised to figure out how to set up some sort of chat room for them, and Yukiko swore they’d have the best rooms at the inn for a giant sleepover when he came back.

And so he was able to get on the train without having a breakdown, standing at the doors as they closed and watching his friends run down the platform until the train blazed out of the station. It was only when he couldn’t see Yasoinaba Station anymore that he picked up his suitcase and turned to find a seat on the mostly-empty train, and finally noticed that Minato was sitting in the corner seat by the door to the next car. The other Wild Card lifted a hand in something like a jaunty wave, and Yu made his way over to hoist his suitcase into the overhead bin and sit beside him. “What are you doing?”

“Seeing you off,” Minato said casually. “The others went back to Iwatodai already, but… I don’t know. I wanted to ride with you.”

Yu smiled, surprisingly grateful. “I’m not going to turn down the company.”

“Well, there’s another thing, too.” Minato nudged against his shoulder. “I know how lonely it is to be basically alone in the aftermath of something like this. None of my team remembered what happened with Nyx for over a month, except Ryoji and Aigis. And you don’t have a shadow-hunting robot to talk things over with, just a lot of hours on a train with too much time to think.”

“No, I don’t have a robot,” Yu chuckled. He nudged Minato back, but did think hard about what he had said. “I’m fine, I guess, but… Things just feel surreally normal, now. I mean, yesterday we were literally fighting a goddess, and today I’m going home to my parents, who know absolutely nothing about what’s happened. It’s going to be bizarre.”

“It’s certainly not an easy thing to explain,” Minato replied. “Anyone who hasn’t experienced it for themselves is going to be disbelieving. Mitsuru-senpai ran into that problem a lot trying to get the Shadow Operatives off the ground.” He smiled. “But you have all of our numbers, and I can get you others, if you want, like Maki-san’s. We won’t let normalcy drown you out.”

“I think I’ll be okay,” Yu assured him. “But I appreciate the offer.” He couldn’t imagine having to live a completely normal life after something like this. But he found it equally hard to imagine living Minato’s life, being basically a member of a supernatural family. And speaking of Minato’s very blue extended family…

“Margaret saved my life,” he said. “I’m not sure if I told you guys, after.”

Minato nodded. “She told me. It was...impressive, actually, that she went herself. She’s always been stricter than Elizabeth and Theodore.” He hummed thoughtfully. “I’m going to have to show you how to interact with your shadow...”

Yu could admit to being a little confused about the whole thing, but he hadn’t wanted to be rude by asking Margaret. “I thought they weren’t allowed to help. Opening the way to Marie for us would have already been our one favor, right?”

“They fudge it a bit. Elizabeth nuked the Reaper while we were climbing Tartarus that last time. It comes down to small things right at the end, I think.”

“Small things,” Yu echoed, unable to process how Margaret stepping in to save him from himself was a small thing. But he was willing to accept it. He wouldn’t be here otherwise. There was no way he would ever be able to repay that.

***

As the train pulled up to his stop, Yu glanced down fondly at where Minato had fallen asleep against his shoulder. The other boy had dozed off an hour prior, but Yu hadn’t been offended. He’d just sat and soaked in the faint warmth in his chest that signified a maxed bond. And now he knew what that bond was: the World. A fitting arcana for being friends with the Universe. And Literally Death, and the Universe’s sister. All of them together made up that final bond, but it made sense that he wouldn’t be able to identify their arcana until he had reached it himself.

“Minato-senpai, wake up.” He shook the other boy awake, and Minato muttered something indistinct but got up and trailed Yu out of the train. They climbed the stairs from the platform into the station proper, and when they stepped out front and Yu looked at the city he hadn’t seen in a year, he felt oddly uncomfortable.

Minato took a step back to look him over, hands stuffed in his pockets. “What’s wrong?”

“…I want to go back,” Yu said, very quietly. “This isn’t right. I… I don’t want to stay _here_. I want to go to school in Inaba, with my friends.”

Minato looked at the sidewalk for a moment, as if debating what to do, and then grabbed him by the shoulders, staring up into his eyes with an intense expression. There was a faint glow to him, and his eyes were turning gold. Only his inherent ability to go unnoticed was stopping people from staring.

“Do it, then,” he said urgently. “ _Do it_. Don’t stay here just because you feel obligated to. Don’t just accept the hand that life is giving you. _Go_. Being a Wild Card is all about having the power to shape your own fate.”

Yu hesitated. “I don’t know what my parents will think if I tell them I’d rather stay in Inaba…” But then something seemed to click, and he stared back at Minato in wonder. “I fought my way through eight different dungeons. I defeated world-ending monsters and a _goddess_. Why am I worried about my parents?” It was like he was just now absorbing that he hadn’t just survived all of those things, he had _won_. “I’ll call my uncle tomorrow, to ask if I can keep staying with him when school starts again. And I’ll talk to my parents.”

“Good.” Minato let go of him, content. “That’s what you need to do. You’re in control of your own destiny, Yu-kun. Never, ever forget that.”

A car pulled up in the parking lot, and two people got out, heading right for them with huge smiles. “Yu!”

Yu glanced from his parents to Minato, nodding to his mentor, his friend, and grabbing his suitcase. “I’ll see you soon. Golden Week, if not sooner.”

“Take care of yourself, Yu,” Minato replied softly. “We’re here if you need us.” He turned to head back into the train station to get a ticket for the rest of the way to Iwatodai, and Yu headed down the steps to his parents. He was capable of anything, now, and he loved his parents. He could talk to them about this.

The future had never looked brighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot twist: P3 max social link is just Minato falling asleep on whoever it is because he trusts them completely. “You spent a long time with X”, yeah, because you took a nap on them. XDDDD
> 
> And so Yu’s story (temporarily) comes to a close. You guys should know the drill by now; give me a bit to sort my thoughts together, and then we’re moving into the intermediate stuff. Other than the fact that obviously there’s two games between this ending and 2016 (which honestly I’m probably just going to glance over unless y’all _really_ want some dance chapters), there’s a lot of setup to be done to make sure that things are in place for P5. Namely kicking most of the cast out of the way to make sure P5 can happen at all. :P But I think I’ve figured out the major divergence point for when I get to P5 proper, so once the setup is done it should be smooth sailing.
> 
> Also my inevitable snack-and-P2 binge needs to happen so I can properly set some other stuff up, so yeah. The next bit of this series will be coming soon, so keep an eye out. 
> 
> You guys are the best; I dunno if I’ve mentioned that lately. :D


End file.
